The Unwelcome Home

Client: IKEA

Over 150,000 children are homeless in temporary accommodation in England. Many families have spent months and even years living in damp, infested, cramped, overcrowded and unsafe conditions.

In an innovative advocacy effort, IKEA and its long-term partner Shelter joined forces to tackle this pressing issue with the aim to influence government policy by urging the construction of 90,000 social rent homes annually for the next 10 years and to tackle the housing emergency and help families out of temporary accommodation. Together, IKEA and Shelter unveiled the Unwelcome Home – reimagining IKEA’s doll’s house to reflect the grim realities of the conditions thousands of children experience in temporary accommodation. The launch of the campaign, the installation at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool and across IKEA stores resulted in over 12,000 signatures on our open letter to government, beyond the goal to secure 10,000 signatures. Across our integrated media campaign, we achieved over 500 pieces of coverage across broadcast, attendance of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at The Unwelcome Home stand at the Labour Party Conference, as well as the Minister of State for Housing and Planning and the Chair of the Housing Select Committee. Since then, the Committee has launched a standalone inquiry into Children in Temporary Accommodation.