London estate agency Douglas & Gordon supported Shelter with a campaign developed with advertising agency Leo Burnett.

The Real Homes Partnership was designed to wake people up to the fact that there is unmanageable gap emerging between those at the bottom and those at the top of the housing ladder.

The gap exists because we are not building enough homes to meet housing need. This is creating a huge homelessness problem. It is also having a devastating impact on the health and prospects of thousands of homeless families, and on the nation's economy.

Raising awareness

Throughout 2006, Douglas & Gordon raised awareness of the housing and homelessness crisis facing the UK in the campaign created with Leo Burnett.

Arresting and sometimes shocking images appeared in all Douglas & Gordon offices, in their shop fronts, and in mock particulars revealing the true state of bad housing in this country.

Douglas & Gordon's quarterly magazine 'Bridge' featured a call to action to donate to Shelter and help tackle the housing crisis.

About the partnership

Some people may feel this was an unlikely partnership. But we believe it was a fantastic opportunity to get our message across to people who may not be familiar with Shelter, encouraging them to donate funds, and to sign up to our million children campaign, which aimed to get a government commitment to end bad housing for the next generation of children.