Behind the doors of London’s secret squats 

Now 28, he’s lost count of the different types of property he’s lived in, but, so far, he has managed to find somewhere to sleep in abandoned warehouses, vacant offices, empty schools, a police station, fire station, post office and even a leisure centre.

‘It’s a just a way of life,’ Tom tells Metro. He’s part of the Reclaim Croydon collective, a squatters’ group, which has taken over disused commercial premises to provide beds for the homeless as a community-based solution to a broken housing market. The group has refurbished around 30 empty buildings since it was formed last year, providing homes for over 100 people.

After arriving in the UK from Eastern Europe a decade ago, Tom explains that he was unable to find a property to rent and ended up sleeping on the streets. Eventually some squatters offered him a roof over his head and he felt ‘safe for the first time’. He’s been living rent-free ever since. 

‘I live with a crew – a collective of people who have to live together,’ he says. ‘For legal reasons, someone always has to be at the squat as it is a form of occupation. But people have jobs and lives – they are all people I trust and love. They have become like a family now.’ 

He is using a pseudonym, Tom adds, as he wants to protect his identity. While squatting is legal in commercial buildings, he has come up against the police who have tried to illegally evict him in the past and doesn’t want to draw the attention of the authorities. 

The Croydon squat he currently lives in looks like a home; it is cosy, comfortable and taken care of. Until squatters moved in, it was a private block of flats that had been left empty and neglected.

‘We refurbished it, got rid of the mold and repainted it,’ Tom explains. ‘When people walk by they probably wouldn’t know it is a squat. There is a regular front door with a doorbell and everyone has their own key.’

The British Landlords Association estimates squatting in commercial buildings is up by almost 300% since December 2021, a problem its head, Sajjad Ahmad, blames on government policies rather than squatters.

‘A lot of these people that you see on the street or squatting in buildings are not drug addicts. You speak to them, and you realise that some of them are qualified individuals who still hold down jobs,’ he says.

Tom’s current home, which used to be home to the Met police and then later private tenancies, was falling into disrepair when he moved in. When its last owner disappeared – a landlord who went bankrupt – Tom’s crew fixed it up and now every member of the 20-strong crew has their own bedroom.

It is one of the group’s minimum standards. They argue that anyone who comes into the squat from the street should expect their own space, their own mattress, a heater and some bedding.

The squat is ruled by democracy; when they need to sort something out, like how to get rid of waste, they get together, have a beer and come to a decision; in this case – club together and pay for a skip. 

‘Decisions are taken very easily in the group. It is like a meeting but not. Everyone contributes as much as they can, but no one is forced,’ Tom explains. The inhabitants use unlimited internet from phone contracts and the electricity and water bills are sorted out between them. 

‘Evidence shows that homeless people who squat have higher levels of needs than those on the street and 34% of homeless people who squat have been in care, 42% are disabled and 41% have mental health issues. They are an incredibly vulnerable group.’

Oumnia lives in an outbuilding with its own small kitchen and bathroom, which she says is preferable to the small room she was offered in a hostel. ‘It was not enough for us, and it’s not healthy,’ she told Reuters. 

Like Tom, Oumnia doesn’t know how long she will be able to stay in the school. And while Tom’s home is comfortable for now, it’s not a permanent solution. 

‘Last week we had three attempts of illegal eviction in different squats in Croydon. We resisted. You have violence from the landlords or bailiffs to deal with. And people aren’t always used to living in a community like ours. Sometimes it can be intense. People have traumas, they end up in our community for a reason. And you have to learn how to deal with that.

‘If buildings are sitting empty, it is morally wrong that people can’t use them to stay warm and dry. Those buildings will fall apart and be taken down if they remain empty.

‘We are a happy community, but we’d be a lot happier if there wasn’t the constant threat of eviction from all around.’

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Kirsten.Robertson@metro.co.uk 

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