FESTIVAL OF IDEAS
SOLVING THE HOUSING CRISIS
An event which brings together those with lived homelessness experience, front line professionals, charitable organisations and statutory bodies to solve the housing crisis here in Brighton and Hove.
Learn More
"I came to yesterdays event with some of my team and thought it was brilliant. It was great to be in a solutions focused space that really mixed together people speaking from lived experience with charities, community groups, activists and grassroots initiatives. As someone who now works in the "systems change" part of homelessness charities, but began as (and remain) an activist and grassroots campaigner, I found this space really refreshing and valuable. It was great to see so many familiar faces."
Event Attendee
Frontline Worker
WHAT IS THE ACTION ON HOMES CAMPAIGN?
The Action on Homes Campaign Event really started just before the covid-19 pandemic, the idea was raised within the housing coalition as a way to essentially hold a housing and homelessness crisis summit, which would bring together hundreds of organisations, statutory and emergency services, the front line workers, council officers, Landlords, Housing Builders, Academics, Campaigns and those with lived homelessness experience for a citywide summit on the housing and homelessness crisis in Brighton and Hove.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic and post-recovery meant that we ended up with a much smaller event, but with the original vision to prove that by bringing together those various bodies and people, we can build a medium-term vision to start transforming our city, by building the homes people want and need and ensuring our services work for those suffering and living with homelessness.
Collaboration on this scale would be sure to produce some special ideas and solutions to move our city forward.
WHO WERE THE SPEAKERS?
The Action on Homes speakers and participants were from a broad spectrum of the housing and homelessness sectors and included people like Jess and Matt Tully from the Museum of Homelessness and many many other wonderful and insightful speakers. Check out the full lineup of speakers here.
ACTION ON HOMES: VIDEO
In preparation for the event, we interviewed some very special speakers including, Bob Blackman MP who brought in the Homelessness Reduction Act and Cllr Matthew Brown, a passionate advocate for Community Wealth Building. We also made a short introductory film on the housing and homelessness crisis in Brighton and Hove and Nationally, which was shown at the event. Check out all the Video interviews, and more clips here.
ISSUES, IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS RAISED
Museum of Homelessness – Homeless Deaths, Reason for Deaths by those housed and homeless and the Actions that were taken to get Social Justice Around Homeless Deaths, including the methods used to highlight this nationwide issue.
Friends, Families and Travellers – Michelle and Angela Spoke about laws which are essentially making it illegal to be a Traveller and some of the common issues and unique issues that are affecting their protected characteristics, culture and way of life here in the UK and in Brighton and Hove.
Sussex Homeless Support Founder Jim Deans – Raised concerns about the Cost of Living Crisis with his charity reporting a huge rise in demand for the weekly street kitchen. Jim has been a tireless campaigner for a homeless triage hub, which brings together fragmented services into one place.
Daniel Harris Housing & Homelessness Advocate – Spoke about his client’s challenges living in Emergency Accommodation, dealing with the council and their health and well-being as a result. Daniel raised his homeless client survey and shared some initial and surprising results from actual homeless respondents.
BHT Sussex – Andy Winter, Chief Executive
B&H Community Land Trust – Helen Bartlett, Hub Co-ordinator
Arch Healthcare – Dr Tim Worthley, GP & Executive Director –
Lawstop – Hannah Bradburn – Housing Specialist –
Recorded video from Bob Blackman MP – Sponsor Homeless Reduction Act –
Recorded video from Cllr Matthew Brown Preston CC –
Presentation on Kerslake Commission report on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping and updates –
Video from Exeter City Council –
Break out discussion, Q & A With local panel, incl Jim Deans and other members of B&H Housing Coalition –
Action on Empty Homes – Chris Bailey, Campaigns Manager
ACORN – Paul Williams, Regional organiser
B&H Housing Coalition – David Thomas Legal Officer
BHCC Councillor David Gibson
