Housing Matters – Our First Workshop for Community Leaders

Launched in January of this year, Housing Matters emerged through a partnership between East Brighton Trust and Lawstop following discussions with local residents and community leaders that indicated an urgent need for accessible housing advice in East Brighton. 

Following nearly six months of delivering free housing advice and signposting sessions at the Crew Club, we engaged with community leaders in North and East Brighton who voiced a keen interest to expand their knowledge of local housing issues, in order to effectively support, guide, and signpost residents. 

Building on our past experience in delivering training, Housing Matters designed a tailored session to meet those needs, which we held last week at the brand-new Lawstop offices, with team members from Crew Club and Moulsecoomb Community Market. 

Throughout the day, there were valuable discussions and learning opportunities about local housing options and accessibility, housing legislation, underrepresented groups, as well as organisations that offer advocacy and support for those facing housing challenges. 

We also spoke about the potential for resident engagement strategies that could empower tenants and residents to have a greater voice in shaping housing policies, and how collaborative work could lead to meaningful improvements across local communities. 

Feedback from the day included: “Amazing workshop, it’s great to have a better understanding of housing and the links I can pass onto my community members.”  

“I had a really good day, can hopefully do it again, it was really helpful.” 

It was both inspiring and energising to be surrounded by a room full of like-minded people, committed to driving meaningful change in response to the current housing crisis. 

We’re already exploring opportunities for future sessions while continuing the conversations about collaborative efforts, and are looking forward to sharing updates soon on the next phase of Housing Matters!