Early Doors works with people experiencing housing issues. We work to prevent homelessness through offering 1-1 advice, support, and group training. We believe everyone has the right to a safe, secure, and warm home.
Launched in 2021 in partnership with Housing Matters (formerly CHAS), a housing advice charity, Early Doors works together with community members to identify key housing & homelessness issues in their area. Once an issue has been identified, group sessions and workshops are designed to inform and support participants around a broad range of subjects. We have covered subjects ranging from fire safety, to tackling disrepair in rented accommodation, to navigating the social housing system. We work together to formulate solutions that create change, if that is what the community members want.
As well as the group work, our skilled and knowledgeable staff provide one-to-one support for clients who come to our drop-in sessions or Bristol Goods food clubs and need a little extra help addressing the barriers they are experiencing. They are able to identify a person’s needs, make complex systems more accessible, and signpost to other appropriate services.
The Early Doors team produce the Housing Support Handbook, a resource open to all citizens of Bristol who are interested in improving housing security for themselves or people around them: Download a free copy of the Spring 2024 edition here.
If you are based in BS2, BS5, BS13 or BS14 and have lived experience of homelessness or insecure housing, you would be very welcome to participate in our Early Doors community groups for these areas. These groups allow us to co-produce our service with insight from the communities we work in. For more information email volunteer@caringinbristol.org.uk
For more information read our blog about about Early Doors’ work.