Prof Katherine Brickell
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kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell
@kbrickell.bsky.social
1.8K followers 940 following 170 posts

Prof Urban Studies + Associate Dean (Impact & Innovation) KCL | Author Debt Trap Nation: Family Homelessness in a Failing State (2025) | Housing/Home/Law | UK & Cambodia | Editor TIBG | Views own | https://www.debt-trap-nation.org/book .. more

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kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · Oct 10
Published today on #WorldHomelessDay: my book Debt Trap Nation – a deep dive into how government policy is driving families into homelessness & debt.

All royalties to @seacharity.bsky.social 💜

Families aren't failing. They're being failed.

📖 www.agendapub.com/page/detail/...

#DebtTrapNation

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

impurbanhealth.bsky.social
Impact on Urban Health @impurbanhealth.bsky.social · 2d
“Children living in homes with wood burners could be exposed to over three times more pollution than those in non-wood-burning homes.”

Article by @drgaryfuller.bsky.social

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/06/children-living-homes-wood-burners-exposed-pollution
Wood burners may treble children’s exposure to pollution in homes, study finds
Research in Wales found that home, not outdoor travel, was largest contributor to children’s daily exposure
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by John Hogan, Katherine Brickell

felicitycallard.bsky.social
Felicity Callard @felicitycallard.bsky.social · 4d
If you were interested in @jaytoddgla.bsky.social’s and my critical response to the “Sullivan Review” yesterday, make sure you read @kevinguyan.bsky.social’s very recently published “Trans-exclusionary data activism in the UK”
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Trans-exclusionary data activism in the UK
In the UK, the design and management of sex and gender categories in data – including census questions, police and health records, and digital ID – has become a key focus of trans-exclusionary acti...
www.tandfonline.com

kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 5d
⚠️ Government has got it wrong, scrapping flooring from the Decent Homes Standard.

💷 When a home comes without floors, it comes with debt – esp. for people after homelessness + domestic abuse.

Read more on my thoughts @insidehousing.bsky.social

www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/chariti...
Charities ‘disappointed’ after government scraps flooring requirement from new DHS
Charities and sector groups have said it is “disappointing” that the government has scrapped a proposed flooring requirement from the Decent Homes Standard.
www.insidehousing.co.uk

Reposted by Valerie Mueller, Felicity Callard, Keith Lilley , and 5 more

brettchristophers.bsky.social
Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 5d
We're recruiting 2 PhD candidates in human geography here in Uppsala, one position focused on urban/housing issues and one in political ecology.

Please spread the word/repost etc. Being a PhD student in Sweden is a good gig.
2 PhD student positions in Human Geography - Uppsala University
2 PhD student positions in Human Geography, Department of Human Geography, Uppsala University
www.uu.se

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

mhclg-answers.bsky.social
MHCLG Answers @mhclg-answers.bsky.social · 6d
A question on #TemporaryAccommodation #Neurodiversity tabled by Adam Dance on 27-01-2026 has been answered by Alison McGovern. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-01-27/108930

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

ljmabon.bsky.social
Leslie Mabon @ljmabon.bsky.social · 6d
Helpful thread here on UKRI + strategy. Vital in any cross-disciplinary calls that arts, humanities + social sciences have a central and transformative role, and hopefully aren't seen as 'service sciences' stuck on at the end of the pipe to assess public opinion or 'convince' the public about tech.
hetanshah.bsky.social Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 6d
And for my colleagues in arts, humanities and social sciences it may be worth gearing up to be part of bigger cross disciplinary calls which are relevant to the industrial strategy priorities if that fits your work. Use the coming months to talk to colleagues in other disciplines so you are set up!

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Dave O’Brien, Elizabeth Stokoe , and 4 more

hetanshah.bsky.social
Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 6d
Hot off the press - a letter from the Exec Chair of @ukri.org explaining his plans and in particular the financial position of STFC. It notes curiosity driven research is protected and will make up around half of UKRI spend over the coming period
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
Open letter from Ian Chapman to research and innovation community
UKRI Chief Executive outlines changes to UKRI investment approach, addressing concerns about research funding and the financial position of STFC.
www.ukri.org

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Linda J. Skitka, Peter Holmes , and 17 more

reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 8d
BIG news from @bloomberg.com, which confirms that ICE has gone ahead and *purchased* multiple commercial warehouses with the aim of converting them into mass detention camps.

This is likely to be the big detention story of 2026 — literal warehousing of people.
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
ICE Begins Buying ‘Mega’ Warehouse Detention Centers Across US
Plans for such centers and jails in nearly two dozen communities have sparked protests over suitability, proximity to homes and schools.
www.bloomberg.com

kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 9d
⚠️ What is happening to neurodivergent children in temporary accommodation is a SAFEGUARDING FAILURE ⚠️

📕 'It's like torture' report: www.sensorylivesproject.org/policy

🗞️ Read our Inside Housing "comment": www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/we-n...
We need to speak about the safeguarding crisis facing neurodivergent children in temporary accommodation
These conditions dismantle the foundations that neurodivergent children rely on, write King’s College London academics Rosalie Warnock and Katherine Brickell.
www.insidehousing.co.uk

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Brigitte Nerlich, Colin Murray , and 6 more

2damntrans.bsky.social
sasha @2damntrans.bsky.social · 9d
Rachel Reeves: "It is not right that people who don't go to university bear the cost for others to." I don't use local leisure centres and I don't drive, so will I be made exempt for taxation that pays for all that stuff? Or is it only education we'll be going after

kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 10d
⏰ This Friday ⏰

Do come to this @homelessnessimpact.bsky.social event if you are interested to learn more about the links between problem debt and homelessness.

I'll be speaking about my book "Debt Trap Nation: Family Homelessness in a Failing State".

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/homelessne...

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

alvagotby.bsky.social
Alva Gotby @alvagotby.bsky.social · 12d
My book Feeling at Home is out in paperback today! It's a call for a more radical struggle for housing and a transformed vision of home www.versobooks.com/en-gb/produc... @versobooks.bsky.social
Feeling at Home
Housing is more than bricks and mortar. Feeling at Home grapples with the practical and emotional questions of housing – domestic labour, privacy, security, ownership, and health. Is it possible to im...
www.versobooks.com

kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 12d
Read our report here: www.sensorylivesproject.org/policy

Reposted by Felicity Callard

kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 12d
“It’s like torture”: our new report reveals how Temporary Accommodation is harming neurodivergent children and families across the UK. Based on a nationwide call for evidence, it sets out urgent policy asks for change.

www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Temporary accommodation in England is ‘torture’ for neurodivergent children, report finds
Exclusive: Parents said their children had become withdrawn or hypervigilant because of uncertainty, unsafe environments and removal of support
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Éric Verdeil, Felicity Callard, Steven M. Manson , and 3 more

spaceforpeace.bsky.social
Sara Koopman @spaceforpeace.bsky.social · 12d
Geographers, in case you missed this detail, Alex Pretti graduated from the Minnesota Geography department in 2011.

Reposted by Sarah Marie Hall, Katherine Brickell, Raúl Pacheco-Vega

matildaf.bsky.social
Matilda Fitzmaurice @matildaf.bsky.social · 17d
CfP for @rgsibg.bsky.social annual conference just dropped! Organised by @geogdurham.bsky.social 's Leah Edwards and myself: The Family as Site of Environmental Politics. Please share widely!

docs.google.com/document/d/1...
RGS 2026 CfP Family as site of environmental politics
RGS Call for papers - RGS-IBG Annual Conference 2026 – London, England (1st-4th  September 2026) Session title: The family as a site of environmental politics Co-organisers: Leah Edwards [Durham U...
docs.google.com

kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 20d
Couldn’t agree more!

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 20d
Last week, @rosalie-warnock.bsky.social and I met Oliver Persey (Barrister, @gardencourtlaw.bsky.social) to discuss our research on experiences of neurodivergent children in Temporary Accommodation.

A key topic – speed is a justice issue, particularly for children moved out of area.

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

dukepress.bsky.social
Duke University Press @dukepress.bsky.social · 22d
In "When Home Is a Photograph," Leigh Raiford asks how Black people use photography to make home in the world through an exploration of the practices of Black American activists and artists. #BlackStudies Read the intro for free now: buff.ly/lMkphrj
Cove of When Home Is a Photograph: Blackness and Belonging in the World by Leigh Raiford.The cover features a silver iridescent couch on a hardwood floor surrounded by a gallery wall of framed artwork and photographs on a white wall. The art is arranged by color to create a rainbow. Above this the title appears in a bold sans serif all caps font aligned left in a gradient from purple to pink. In the upper right corner the subtitle appears in a black serif font. The author's name appears below in all caps in the same font.

Reposted by Hyun S. Shin, Henry G. Overman, Katherine Brickell

lsegeography.bsky.social
LSE Geography & Environment @lsegeography.bsky.social · 25d
Hello Bluesky!

We’re the Department of Geography and Environment at LSE. Follow us here for department news, events, research highlights, and opportunities.

🔗 lse.ac.uk/geography-and-environment
Department of Geography and Environment | LSE
Study geography and environment at LSE. Explore world-leading research, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and a vibrant academic community.
lse.ac.uk

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

statesofprecarity.bsky.social
States of Precarity @statesofprecarity.bsky.social · 25d
Today we launch States of Precarity in UK HE Geography.

Thank you to the 364 colleagues whose experiences shaped this work.

Download the report, share widely, and join us in advocating for change.

Launch event (1:00-2:30GMT):
www.rgs.org/events/upcom...

Read report:
www.rgs.org/research/hig...
States of precarity in UK Higher Education geography
Findings from a discipline-focused research project exploring the lived realities of precarious academic work within UK Higher Education geography.
www.rgs.org

Reposted by Martin Paul Eve, Lesley A. Hall, Adrian Vickers , and 2 more

mattlodder.com
Dr Matt Lodder @mattlodder.com · 25d
Incredible article which points out that it often collectively costs more to apply for scarce research funding than the funds awarded to the successful proposals.

What an absurd system we've built in the service of efficiency and competition.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

bobbyduffy.bsky.social
Bobby Duffy @bobbyduffy.bsky.social · 25d
172,000 children in UK are homeless - Dan Hewitt from ITV outlining this is a systemic, political choice and @kwajo.bsky.social that the narrative shift to see housing as an asset not an essential at heart of crisis @kbrickell.bsky.social @policyatkings.bsky.social @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

london.gov.uk
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 26d
I’m determined to help London’s families cope with the cost of living and help put more money back into household budgets.

That’s why I’m investing £2.2 million to ensure parents and carers across the capital can access the support that they’re entitled to but aren't receiving.
Graphic with a purple and yellow background reading: “Mayor of London. Great news. £2.2 million invested by the Mayor to help low-income families in London access free advice and the financial support available to them.”

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

nearlylegal.co.uk
Nearly Legal @nearlylegal.co.uk · 26d
Excessive heat is a serious problem in quite a few new build flats/blocks. But this is definitely not the ‘first time a claim has been filed’ for excessive heat under fitness for human habitation. We’ve got a few underway.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Woolwich tenants threaten legal action over hot homes
Residents of flats in south-east London say their homes have excessive heat, with some reaching 43C.
www.bbc.co.uk

kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 27d
Looking forward to chairing the panel discussion with such brilliant speakers at tomorrow's event on child homelessness.

What question would you ask the panellists @kwajo.bsky.social @danielhewittitv.bsky.social ?

🎟️ www.kcl.ac.uk/events/no-pl...

Reposted by Katherine Brickell

theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 27d
New campaign urges Starmer not to diminish legal rights of Send children
New campaign urges Starmer not to diminish legal rights of Send children
Backed by actor Sally Phillips and MPs across parties, group raises concerns about overhaul of provision in England Keir Starmer is being urged not to diminish the legal rights of children with special educational needs by a new national campaign backed by the actor Sally Phillips and a cross-party group of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs. The group Save Our Children’s Rights claims the prime minister is “considering taking our legal rights away” as part of the government’s overhaul of special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision in the forthcoming schools white paper for England. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Rebecca Solnit, Steve Peers, David Rothschild , and 4 more

maddow.bsky.social
Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 27d
"At schools, volunteers are forming human chains as students and employees enter and leave, with whistles to blow if ICE shows up.

Volunteers—many of them moms already involved at their schools—divvy up tasks, such as delivering groceries to immigrant families..."

www.wsj.com/us-news/insi...
Inside Minneapolis’s Sprawling Network of ICE Watchers
Renee Nicole Good lived in a community where residents by the thousands are using text alerts, whistles and Google documents to shadow federal agents
www.wsj.com

kbrickell.bsky.social
Prof Katherine Brickell @kbrickell.bsky.social · 29d
StepChange's website had 3,958 visitors on Christmas Day, and 15,401 on New Year's Eve and 1 January combined.
Debt charities report January spike in calls as worries mount
Debt charities say that calls have risen compared with last year as people are urged to seek help.
www.bbc.co.uk