Episode 3

Last year, over half a million immigrants arrived in the UK, all needing somewhere to live. Just four miles from Heathrow, the London Borough of Hounslow is a gateway to Britain and the council's housing department is struggling to cope with an influx of housing applications from people from overseas. This episode follows those who have come from abroad and have no option but to turn to the council for housing. Competition is fierce and the futures of many families rest in the hands of the council's housing officers, but getting a council house isn't easy, even if you're facing homelessness. Florin, his wife and their five children have come from Romania for a better life in Britain but, without a home or a job, they face the bleak prospect of having to sleep rough. Monika is from Poland and her husband Frederick is from Uganda. They've been living with their two children in a privately rented home in Hounslow for four years.