Real Life Roomsets

Sam's story

Homeless after her relationship broke down, Sam and her three young children were placed in a hostel room like this. Concerned about her safety, she moved out, sleeping in a car for seven weeks while her children stayed with a friend.

Finally, she was given new accommodation which was no better than the first. There was black mould everywhere and a lingering smell of cannabis. There was a hole in the door where the letterbox should have been, and on two occasions, she was assaulted while living there. Worst of all, Sam was separated from her three children yet again because her temporary accommodation was an hour and forty minutes away from their school. The constant upheavals and separation tested the resilience of the family.

After working with the council Sam finally found a private rental and was reunited with her children at Christmas. But she worries about the long-term impact of living in a temporary accommodation.

Sam’s story isn’t unique. Thousands of families are stuck in places like this because they have nowhere else to go. IKEA have joined forces with Shelter to highlight this issue and call on the government to build 90,000 new social homes a year. By 2030, our aim is to ensure that half-a-million people have access to a better life at home.

Sam's room was represented in IKEA's Hammersmith store