The word ‘community’ has almost become a buzzword with how often it is used nowadays. It’s easy to lose sight of the importance of community, when it’s thrown about so much.
In the social housing sector, community is an incredibly important part of the work that is done. Creating community in the sector, and for the people the sector serves, is a crucial aspect of ensuring sustainable, quality, and affordable homes for all.
With the upheaval of the last few years in the sector, and the growing housing crisis, community support is more important now than ever before. It’s something we value here at Convene, creating those networks that ensure communication, collaboration and results.
With this in mind, let’s go through what community means for Housing, and why it’s important to build it as a sector.
Why Community is Important in Social Housing
Community engagement is an integral part of effective social housing development. Its significance for the sector cannot be understated.
Engaging with local communities enables developers to access the shared knowledge and perspectives of those most impacted by upcoming housing projects. Interacting with these communities also helps to foster trust and transparency, demonstrating a commitment to their well-being.
Every community is different, with unique challenges, opportunities and viewpoints. Engaging with communities allows for the sector to tailor social housing solutions to meet specific needs, whether it’s accessible homes, affordable housing or family-friendly homes.
Social housing goes beyond merely providing shelter; it aims to cultivate lively, united neighbourhoods. Social housing that focuses on sustainability and community involvement is better for the long-term. Involving local communities lays the groundwork for thriving, lasting housing in the sector.
Understanding community, how to build and foster it, and why it’s so important, should be at the forefront of social housing.
Why it’s Important to Build Community
There are so many benefits to building community, in both personal and work environments. Community is a crucial part of how we have existed and thrived for so long, and there are so many factors it encourages.
Resilience
Belonging to a community offers a form of support that provides strength against challenges. Resilience means that people are better equipped to respond to and manage change and crisis.
Communities aren’t immune from tough circumstances, instead they adapt and become stronger as they cope together. Strong communities welcome conflict and diversity, engaging with differing perspectives and fostering respectful discussions that promote learning and understanding.
Support
Community offers a support network to those who need it. Whether you need to seek advice, discussion or even just to be heard, a community can provide that space of understanding.
Being a part of a community means there are more open lines of communication, so you can be supported and issues can be addressed and solved.
Opportunities for growth
A community can provide honest, detailed, and comprehensive feedback organically, giving you the opportunity to understand what you need to improve on and change.
A community can provide a platform and the means for people within the community to give you useful feedback, and a chance to grow from that feedback.
Being part of a community provides opportunities for personal and professional growth. Whether it’s learning a new skill or getting advice from experienced members, being part of a community can help you grow and achieve your goals.
Communities create mutual learning opportunities, offering ways to learn and grow from each other.
Platform for change and awareness
Communities have the power to effect change. Whether it’s advocating for social reform or addressing environmental issues, being part of a community can provide a platform for social change.
Engaging with a community of people introduces you to a range of perspectives, and you’re likely to discover fresh insights there.
It speaks to the importance of community building, that change and awareness can come from such a place. In a supportive community, where individuals can uplift one another and foster trust, people experience increased confidence and involvement with the environment surrounding them.
Sense of purpose
Strong communities have a profound sense of purpose. Individuals find meaning in their contributions, recognising how their efforts link to those of others and enhance the overall value of the community as a collective.
Belonging and purpose can help increase feelings of solidarity and fulfilment, which can be important both personally and professionally.
How Convene Can Help Build Community
Here at Convene, we want to help build community in the sector, as a dedicated platform for Housing Associations with our Board portal software.
This is why we’ve created a community for social housing to share their knowledge and insight, and establish those all important connections.
We want to facilitate discussion and wisdom sharing for our Housing community and beyond. We’ll be hosting events, webinars & sharing our articles and newsletters and more, all focused on Housing Governance, Risk and Compliance.
If you’d like to learn from others in the sector and be a part of something, join our community today.
