Re: So glad I made the move
 

Yes, London wide I believe, possibly country wide. All sorts of sheds and garages have been unofficially converted into very makeshift accommodation and being rented out to unskilled immigrants. The locaal councils are trying to tackle the problem of affordable but unhealthy and unauthorised accommodation.

Re: So glad I made the move
 

Unlike in N.America where the authorities are apparantly happy to allow people to live in places like that shown on 'Tent City USA'. It must be a price worth paying for freedom and liberty I guess :confused:

Re: So glad I made the move
 

Actually, it's a tricky one. If you have people from impoverished countries who are used to basic living conditions, living in squalid accommodation by UK standards is not the end of the world. They're able to keep a bit more of their paycheque.

The real problem is that it skews the employment market. The newcomer is able to afford to live on a below-cost-of-living minimum wage, and the locals who don't like the idea of sleeping 8 to a room or without electricity are branded as job snobs.

Re: So glad I made the move
 

It's been going on for years for various waves of immigrants. In Bedford for example mit was first th Italians, then West Indians, then Eastern European, Indian and Pakistani, then.....
Some beds were rented out in 8 hour slots so the poor immigrant would work then sit on a bench somewhere until his alloted bed time.

A young Canadian visitor of mine thought the allotment sheds she saw from the tube windows were shanty town.