Jerome's Story

Jerome, 31, from Croydon West wanted to retrain in construction to help build the homes London desperately needs. Training providers had unfilled places, and his local authority had unmet housing targets with planning permission already granted. But HM Treasury's approach to infrastructure spending blocked his path. Instead of funding the training places that would put skilled workers like Jerome into building the homes already approved, central government treats construction investment as a deficit risk. The workers were available, the training capacity existed, and the housing need was clear. What was missing was political will from Westminster to fund the obvious solution. This is Jerome's story of how an idea, not a resource shortage, kept him from contributing to solving London's housing crisis. Produced independently.