Craig David revisits childhood social home in new film supporting Shelter campaign for urgent investment in social housing

Craig David revisits childhood social home in new film supporting Shelter campaign for urgent investment in social housing

British music icon shows how social housing helped launch his award-winning music career, as he backs Shelter’s call for 90,000 new social homes a year over next ten years.

Watch the film clip: Craig David lends his voice for social housing.

Shelter has today released a powerful new film clip featuring British music icon Craig David, highlighting the urgent need for more genuinely affordable social housing in England. In the film, Craig revisits his childhood home, reflecting on how having a stable and secure social home played a pivotal role in shaping his life and career.

The film follows Craig as he, accompanied by his mother Tina, returns to the place where it all began, sharing how their social home provided him with the security and space to develop his talent and pursue his dreams. Craig also meets the family now living in the home, surprising them with an intimate concert, direct from their living room.

In a poignant and personal tribute to the home that made him, Craig shares fond memories of his childhood and reveals how many of the songs on his debut album were written in his childhood bedroom, including popular hits 7 Days, Walking Away and Fill Me In.

The film comes at a time when homelessness is at an all-time high, with over 164,000 children currently growing up homeless in temporary accommodation in England. On top of this, 1.3 million households in England are currently stuck on waiting lists for a social home, a rise of 10% in the last two years.

Social homes like the one Craig grew up in are the answer to the housing emergency, providing the security families desperately need. Unlike the instability of private renting, social rent homes offer secure, long-term tenancies with rents tied to local incomes. However, there is a chronic shortage of social housing as a result of decades of underinvestment – forcing households into overcrowded and unsuitable temporary accommodation or extortionate private renting.

To put an end to homelessness and provide families with the affordable and safe homes they need, Shelter is urging the government to use the Spending Review in June to invest in building 90,000 social homes a year for ten years.

Craig David said: “Growing up in a social home meant everything to me. It wasn’t just a place to live – it was a space where I felt secure, supported, and able to be myself. The sense of community was so strong too – we looked out for each other and that made all the difference.

“I remember how, in that very home, I could sit down, play my melodies, and dream. That home was where I wrote some of the most important songs of my life – songs that went on to shape my career and touch so many people’s hearts.

“Going back with Shelter to visit my old home, and still feeling that same energy, reminded me just how powerful the foundation of a stable, loving home can be. I’m proud to support Shelter’s campaign, because it’s heartbreaking to think so many children today don’t have that same chance. Every child deserves the security, support, and sense of belonging I was lucky enough to grow up with – and that means investing in social housing."

Mairi MacRae, Director of Campaigns and Policy at Shelter, said: “Homelessness has a clear solution – safe, secure social rent homes that give everyone the chance to thrive, but right now, there just aren’t enough. Decades of underinvestment in social house building has left us with a chronic shortage, pushing more and more families into expensive, unstable private rentals or overcrowded, often grim temporary accommodation.

“We’re so grateful to have Craig backing our campaign. His story shows just how powerful and life-changing a social home can be – providing the solid foundation for a successful career and future.

“That’s a world away from what growing numbers of homeless children are facing today – living in temporary accommodation where instability looms over them, never knowing if they’ll be forced to move again, leaving their schools and communities behind.

“The government must use the June Spending Review to commit to invest in 90,000 social homes a year for ten years.”

To support Shelter, visit www.shelter.org.uk/invest.