Resident groups

Find out how to join or start a local resident group in your area. Get involved in improving services.

What a resident group is

Residents come together to discuss common issues around housing and their neighbourhood. They help to create a sense of community.

Activities include:

  • keeping in touch and sharing information with local residents
  • sharing the views of your area, street or block to the council 
  • bidding for funding to help make your area a better place to live
  • developing or improving communal spaces
  • organising social events to help bring residents together

View our local residents group poster.

Get involved

Starting a local group on your street or in your block can help to provide a collective voice for residents to suggest changes or improvements to the council about the area or neighbourhood.

The Community Engagement Team supports resident groups with information and advice, problem solving, training, and signposting to council funding opportunities to help improve communities.

Contact your area based community engagement officer to find out if there is already a residents group in your neighbourhood that you could support, or for help to get one started.

Have a say in improving services

The council also offers the opportunity for council residents to join council supported Resident Involvement Groups. These mixed groups of council tenants, leaseholders and council officers look at improving how council housing services are run.

You can share opinions and use common interests to set your own targets at each meeting.

Types of resident involvement group include:

Seniors Housing Action Group

This resident-led group is supported by the Community Engagement Team. The group aims to engage with all residents who live in Seniors Housing (formerly called Sheltered Housing). 

Interested residents that live in Seniors Housing can ask to join the mailing list, where they will receive information about meetups. 

The group meets to share their views and support Senior Housing residents to improve their experience of living in council homes. The group works closely with the Senior Housing management team. The group holds annual elections to decide on the resident chair of the group. 

For more information, or to sign up to the newsletter, send an email to communityengagement@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Leaseholder Action Group

The Leaseholder Action Group (LAG) represents the interests of leaseholders in council housing. Leaseholders elect the LAG committee each year. They work with the Housing Leaseholder Team to raise issues and concerns in the Leaseholder community.

You can phone the LAG Committee on 01273 605 225.

Tenant Disability Network

The Tenant Disability Network (TDN) is a resident-led group that is support by the Community Engagement Team. The group aims to engage with disabled council tenants and leaseholders, carers, and Personal Assistants (PAs) to gather their views. They also support them to improve their experience of living in council homes. 

TDN focuses on housing services, working with council housing managers to help improve services. TDN gathers information about issues and projects that affect disabled people. They also distribute this information so more tenants and leaseholders are kept up-to-date about services and support in the city.

For more information, or to attend a meeting in person or online, please send an email to communityengagement@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Home Group

The Home Group is a forum where tenants and leaseholders can get involved in decisions that affect their homes.  The Home Group focuses on the parts of the Housing service relating to buildings, such as:

  • windows and roof replacement
  • repairs called in by tenants
  • lifts in blocks
  • mechanical or electrical services

Residents set the agenda, chair the meetings and work closely with different housing staff to look at topics of interest. The Community Engagement Team help residents to keep track of topics and actions, including minuting the meeting and making sure they’re welcoming for newcomers.

For more information, or to attend a meeting in person, or online send an email to communityengagement@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Involvement & Empowerment Group

The Involvement and Empowerment Group brings residents and council officers together to look at the best ways to communicate with tenants and leaseholders. This includes:

  • how to support the development of tenant and resident associations
  • developing resident training and learning
  • supporting the councils Homing In magazine
  • developing new ways of reaching and supporting tenants to ensure that a diverse range of voices are heard 

A resident leads the group with the support of the community Engagement Team, and they meet 6 times per year. 

To join a meeting in person or online, send an email to communityengagement@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Citywide Conference

The Citywide Conference is a yearly meeting for council housing tenants. In the meeting, they talk about changes or improvements they’d like to see in the housing service.  

The conference theme is decided by residents in the Involvement and Empowerment Group. The conference includes topics with guest speakers, a chance to meet other residents from across the city. Attendees can also talk to our senior housing managers about housing concerns or ideas they have.

The conference has been run for several years and is successful in linking residents with council staff. It prioritises residents’ concerns and makes a real difference to residents across the city. All tenants of council homes are welcome.

For more information, send an email to communityengagement@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Join a Resident Involvement group

For more information

You can view our community engagement meetings diary to find out when each group meets.

To contact us: