The London Standard’s David Cohen has been shortlisted for one of the most prestigious awards for political writing and reporting.
Investigations and Campaigns Editor Cohen has made the final nine-strong list of The Orwell Prize 2025 for Reporting Homelessness, which celebrates impactful reporting about homelessness that makes rigorous use of evidence and data.
It follows his work on the Standard’s A Place to Call Home Winter Appeal, in collaboration with Comic Relief, which supported refugees and people experiencing homelessness.
The campaign aimed to highlight an official policy that was leaving newly recognised refugees homeless, urging the Government to double the ‘move-on’ period to give people more time to transition from asylum accommodation.
Judges for The Orwell Prize said they were “highly impressed by David’s dedicated commitment and the well-researched focus on timely challenges.”
One article written by Cohen focuses on Afghan refugee Habib, who fled his home country in 2021 just weeks before the Taliban seized power. Leaving behind his wife and daughter, Habib endured a perilous four-month journey to reach the UK where he claimed asylum.
He was housed by the Home Office in cramped hotel rooms and shared accommodation, before he was granted refugee status two years later. However, just as he began to hope he could rebuild his life, Habib received an eviction notice — giving him just 28 days to leave his Home Office-supported accommodation.
Habib faced two options: seek housing through the local authority or rent privately. However, councils are only legally required to offer assistance within 56 days, and private landlords typically demanded a hefty deposit that he simply could not afford.
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For six months, Habib was homeless — sleeping on a friend’s floor or in the back of his car — and recalled walking down the street in tears, simply trying to get back on his feet.
Within weeks of this article being published, the Government extended its ‘move on’ period imposed on newly-recognised refugees from 28 days to 56 days, marking a huge victory for The Standard and other charities.
Refugee charity bosses welcomed the Home Office letter announcing the change calling it “a real victory”, “a much-needed change in policy” and “a genuinely positive step that will make a difference to the lives of refugees” in the UK.
The Standard’s Winter Appeal raised a staggering £3.46million last year — the most of any newspaper and £1 million more than the previous year.
The Orwell Prize was the brainchild of the late Professor Sir Bernard Crick, Orwell’s first biographer, to encourage the work of young writers. In 1994, Crick used royalties from his book, ‘George Orwell: A Life’, to create a fund.
From modest beginnings, the prizes have since grown into one of the most prestigious in the English-speaking world.
The i Paper’s Vicky Spratt, Big Issue’s Greg Barradale and The Guardian’s Katharine Swindells have also been shortlisted for the Reporting Homelessness award.
