THOUSANDS of people living on Britain’s waterways are being denied basic rights because the law has failed to recognise their homes, said Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville.
Writing on The Parliament Politics website, she warned that boat dwellers occupy a “strange limbo”, lacking the protections of conventional housing despite forming a long-established community.
She is introducing the Rights of Boat Dwellers Bill, aimed at closing what she describes as a major legal gap.
The 2021 Census recorded about 105,000 people living on boats and other mobile homes, although Baroness Bakewell argues this likely underestimates the true figure, with some residents avoiding official registration out of fear they could lose their homes.
In the article, she highlights how the absence of a fixed address places boat dwellers at a disadvantage across public services. Many are refused GP registration or removed from patient lists, while children have been denied school places and pensioners have struggled to access travel benefits.
The problems extend to everyday administration, she notes. Some government systems, including vehicle licensing and insurance, are not designed to accommodate those without a permanent address, leaving individuals at risk of penalties through no fault of their own.
She is also critical of waterways policy, arguing that current rules governing boat movement and mooring can disrupt access to work, education and family life.
Those without permanent moorings face strict travel requirements, while even residents with moorings often lack security of tenure and can be evicted with little notice.
“I do not think the convenience of an authority is a good enough reason to deny people a secure home,” Baroness Bakewell states.
Her proposed legislation would formally recognise boats as lawful homes and extend basic rights, including access to healthcare, education and housing security.
As she concludes in The Parliament Politics: “These should not depend on whether that roof happens to float… boat dwellers cannot be left to wait another 50 years for justice.”
