Born to Do It… But Not Born to Afford Rent – Craig David’s Mic Drop on Britain’s Housing Crisis

Title: Born to Do It… But Not Born to Afford Rent – Craig David’s Mic Drop on Britain’s Housing Crisis

Subheading: Council houses, childhood dreams, and the sound of local authorities going financially bust

Craig David has done what most 90s music legends wouldn’t dare: he went back to his childhood council house. Not to humblebrag or film a dramatic reunion episode of MTV Cribs: Gritty Edition — but to raise the alarm on something real: the collapse of social housing in the UK.

While the rest of us are stuck in a game of Rightmove Roulette, Craig’s out here trying to save the very foundation that let him become a garage god — a stable home. You know, that mythical thing we used to call a “basic right” before it turned into a luxury item between oat milk and phone signal.

And honestly? The man has a point.

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“Craig David Rewinds Time… and the Tories Still Can’t Build Homes”

While Craig’s revisiting his roots and filming with Shelter, councils across the country are burning through money like they’ve taken budgeting advice from a Love Island contestant. Birmingham? Bankrupt. Woking? Woke and broke. Thurrock? Thurr-oughly screwed.

Why? Let’s break it down like a late-90s remix:

1. Austerity Ate the Budget

Over a decade of cuts has left councils with less money than a teenager after payday. Services have been stripped to the bone, and housing departments are now held together with duct tape and optimism.

2. Right to Buy = Wrong to Replace

Homes were sold off faster than you can say “discount semi”, and barely any were replaced. It's like giving away all your spoons and wondering why your soup keeps leaking out of your hands.

3. Temporary Accommodation = Permanent Chaos

We’ve got over 80,000 families in temporary housing. Nothing says “family values” like sleeping in a Travelodge next to a hen party from Essex.

4. Overpaid CEOs and Gold-Plated Projects

Some councils went all-in on big shiny projects instead of… you know, housing people. You can’t live in a conference centre, no matter how eco the toilets are.

5. “Digital Transformation” IT Disasters

Several councils blew millions on IT upgrades that somehow made things worse. Think Windows 95 but with more consultants charging £1,000 a day to forget their passwords.

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Meanwhile, Craig David is Out Here Doing the Government’s Job

He’s made a heartfelt film with Shelter, met the new family living in his old home, and reminded us that community isn’t just a buzzword – it’s what raises future garage legends. And let’s be real: if Craig David had grown up today, he’d probably be making beats under a bridge with a Wi-Fi dongle and a soggy sleeping bag.

He says, “It wasn’t just a place to live – it was a space where I felt secure, supported and able to be myself.” That’s the bit policymakers seem to forget while they debate housing policy from their Georgian townhouses in Zone 1.

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The Fix? It's Not Rocket Science (It’s Just Political Courage)

Shelter’s asking for 90,000 social homes a year for 10 years. Honestly, if we can fund £480m pedestrianised piazzas in towns no one walks through, we can build a few solid homes with working boilers.

As a handyman, I see the effects of this crisis daily. People living in mould-infested boxes, paying £1,300 a month for what used to be a garden shed. Councils can’t keep up, and tradespeople like me are expected to patch the Grand Canyon with a bit of filler and a smile.

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Final Word: Let’s Build More Than Just Spotify Playlists

So to Craig David: legend, icon, and now accidental housing campaigner — we salute you. You went from 7 Days to 7-point housing manifestos and managed to not sound like a Westminster think tank.

As for the rest of us? Let’s stop pretending we can “innovate” our way out of this mess. Just build the homes. Affordable ones. Safe ones. With room to breathe, dream, and maybe — just maybe — write the next chart-topping banger.

Because born to do it shouldn’t mean born into debt.