12 July 2022
One Housing book celebrates history and creativity of London rough sleepers
Riverside news Press Release
One Housing is a part of the Riverside Group, working to help people to live better by providing high quality homes and care across London and the South East.
We’re proud to share ‘Arlington and Beyond’ – a new book released by our colleagues and customers from One Housing, which celebrates the lives, history and creativity of Arlington House, a historic London hostel.
The book has been produced to mark the tenth anniversary of One Housing’s management of the accommodation, whose famous residents have included novelist George Orwell, Irish poet Brendan Behan, and writer Patrick Kavanagh.
It features over 50 works of art and written contributions from the people, past and present, who have lived in at the Camden landmark, as well as music which was inspired by the hostel, including The Men of Arlington by The Progues, and One Better Day by Madness.
Today, Arlington has been converted into a modern facility, found in the heart of Camden as a key homelessness service. Camden Council funds the support One Housing provides to individuals, to enable them to begin their journeys away from homelessness and to achieve independence.
The book covers Arlington’s history and its holistic approach to helping rough sleepers, including how it was once the largest hostel in Europe and home to over 1,000 men, many of which were Irish immigrants.
Suggs, frontman of the English band Madness, has produced the foreword for the book, reminiscing about his involvement with the local landmark.
Arlington and Beyond can be purchased online, with proceeds going to charities that support Arlington residents and those in similar schemes.
This book is for the lovers of art, history, London, and those interested in learning how the holistic care Arlington provides with the support of Camden Council can serve as a model for how rough sleepers can be successfully supported across London and beyond.