The vital role of communities

A good home is about more than bricks and mortar. Feeling connected, having places to go, knowing what’s happening locally, and having opportunities to take part can all make a difference to people and communities. 

“Housing associations can play a part in this by working alongside residents and local organisations to support communities to thrive,” says HACT, a charity that has worked with the sector for more than 60 years. 

And that’s why we are working with HACT, to understand the difference we can make through community investment, resident involvement, health and other areas. 

Together, we’re looking to create a community investment strategy. This sets out how we can be clearer and more focused in our support and invest in our communities. But we don’t want to decide what matters from behind a desk – residents know their communities best, so we brought them together with HACT to share their knowledge.

Talking about community with our residents 

On Wednesday, 21 October, 13 residents, HACT and community partners EcoACTIVE came together over curry, rice, and cake, to discuss what can make their communities even better.

We heard loud and clear that feeling connected, with neighbours and the wider community to socialise and end isolation, knowing what’s happening locally, having places to come together, including outdoor and green spaces and the ability to share information were your top priorities.  

HACT will write up what residents said into a report and we'll share the findings with residents to shape recommendations put forward for our community investment strategy.