“Being heard changes everything.”
Our second Brick by Brick Advisory Group meeting was jam-packed. Under the theme Reimagine, voices from across our communities shared stories that cut through headlines and exposed the raw realities of housing injustice.
We heard how women who dared to name racism were gaslit and silenced, their complaints dismissed. We heard how Black men are left to languish in temporary accommodation for years, stereotypes of strength masking systemic neglect. Young people, too, are “adultified” — sofa-surfing, vanishing from records, unsupported and unseen. Black women continue to face stigma, with damaging myths about single mothers undermining their housing rights. And across it all, mental health is too often weaponised against tenants — used to discredit rather than support.
These are not isolated accounts. They reveal patterns: racist placements that expose families to hostility, unsafe housing that puts children at risk, and a system that confuses survival with resilience. Yet in the midst of this, there was also relief. “She felt, at last, someone had heard her — and it was hugely comforting.” That reminder sits at the core of our work: storytelling isn’t only about what is told, but about building power together.
What’s Next?
As we carry these insights forward, our next Advisory Group meeting on Wednesday 1 October will turn Reimagine into Resolve — focusing on housing as a human right, confronting racism head-on, and building accountability that lasts.
And the conversation doesn’t stop there. On Thursday 16 October, our associate member Christabelle Quaynor is hosting Room for All: Race, Shelter and the Power of Stories at Lift Islington (10:30am–2:00pm). Inspired by Awaab Ishak’s story and Awaab’s Law, this event will explore how powerful storytelling can drive systemic change. Interested in speaking? Contact Christabelle at christabelle@voice4change-england.co.uk.
Together, we’re not just telling stories. We’re shifting narratives, shaping policy, and building justice — brick by brick.