Do you have questions? Hopefully some of them are answered below. If not, get in touch.
What is community-led housing?
Community-led housing is a small but thriving area of the housing sphere.
Community-led housing is when a group of people take control of their housing situation by working through the housing development process. Compared to a housing association or private property developer, community-led housing groups/projects/organisations are often made up of people who share a local area connection (i.e. a community of place) and want to make that area better for themselves and the people who live there. First Birck is slightly different in that we are not solely defined by where we live, but also who we are (i.e. a community of circumstance).
There are a few key facets of community-led housing. Firstly, community participation (and informed consent) is paramount to the process, which means decisions are ultimately made by the community and what is eventually provided is what the community actually wants and needs. The second is that the community group owns, manages and stewards the homes in whichever way they decide to, giving them power. Lastly, the development of housing must be of true benefit for the community in question, and this benefit is protected forever.
Will your properties just be for LGBTQ+ people?
First Brick aims to provide community housing for LGBTQ+ people. We will be designing our properties and spaces to benefit those who are LGBTQ+, but this does not necessarily mean that our properties will be only available to LGBTQ+ people. We want to also deliver housing for those who may not define as part of the community, but may face similar social stigmatisation as our community does.
One clear example of someone who isn’t LGBTQ+ living in our properties would be those living with HIV. LGBT CLT recognises that people living with HIV experience health and social related societal stigma regardless of their sexuality or gender identity. Given that our community has a long and difficult history with the disease that has affected us more than the general UK population, we are often more understanding of what it is like to live with the illness. In this case therefore, a non-LGBTQ+ person may feel more comfortable living in an LGBT CLT property, and we welcome this.
What is key for First Brick is that all of our eventual residents are all those who identify by the environments we create.
Who owns and runs First Brick?
You do. First Brick is currently an unconstituted project, meaning nobody currently owns it. We have an established management structure (our Strategic Builders) to help us develop the organisation to the point of incorporating as a Community Benefit Society; all members currently identify as LGBTQ+ however we welcome the input from our straight-allies.
Our eventual business structure will allow for membership. In fact, it will be a critical part of how we operate. This membership structure will allow any member of the LGBTQ+ community to purchase membership (this is typically set at a very small, highly affordable amount). This will allow all members to vote for the board at our Annual General Meetings, giving you ultimate control over the organisation’s running. As company shareholders, members will collectively own the eventual organisation.
What kind of legal structure do you have?
At the moment LGBT CLT is an unconstituted community project. We are working towards developing ourselves into a Community Benefit Society. When this happens we will publicise this in line with our commitment to organisational transparency. If you have governance experience, please get in touch by heading to the contact page.
When will your first properties be available and can I live in one?
We are at the start of our journey, and as such we have no developments or properties in the pipeline at present. However, if you are in need of housing we strongly encourage you to reach out, tell us your story and involve yourself in our journey. If we are going to build what our community needs, we need to actually identify the need, and the only way we can do that is by hearing directly from our community.
If you need urgent housing related support or are struggling with your current housing situation, get in touch with us so we can do our best to refer you. You can also speak to Shelter either online or via phone or Stonewall Housing for support.
How do I get involved?
There are so many ways to get involved in First Brick:
Share your story with us.
We want to hear of any issues you have had accessing housing, maintaining a tenancy, issues with your landlord and experiences of homelessness as a result of your LGBTQ+ identity. All of this information is vital for us to build a picture of the need. Head to the contact page and either get in touch direct or fill out the anonymous form.
Register your interest by applying to join our Strategic Builders.
Are you a housing or development professional? Do you have experience of homelessness? Are you just passionate about building safe and affordable homes for LGBTQ+ people? You can express your interest to become a Strategic Builder. Head to the contact page or drop us an email on hello@firstbrickhousing.co.uk
Volunteer/pro-bono work
Are you a governance guru? Solid with social media? Do you know what makes a perfect grant application? Or you just interested and want to help out? Whatever your skill, if you think it might be useful for First Brick, please get in touch and let’s start a conversation.
I’m looking to work at First Brick. Can I apply?
First Brick is a voluntary organisation with very limited resources, and we are therefore not currently hiring. Keep an eye on our social media as this may change in the future.
Are you just London-based?
Our initial focus will be on the Greater London area, however we want to work with the whole UK to build a national picture of LGBTQ+ housing need, so we can respond to this positively in future. We therefore welcome involvement from our members of our community living across the UK.
First Brick Housing 