The Early Doors homelessness prevention project was launched in 2021 in partnership with Housing Matters, a Bristol-based housing advice charity. We work with people experiencing housing issues, offering 1-1 advice, support, and group training. We believe everyone has the right to a safe, secure, and warm home. Our support conversations use a strengths-based approach and are… person-led, informative, honest, and accessible.

Our 1-1 support provides a space for people to…

• Improve knowledge and confidence to use your housing rights.
• Receive support to access, understand, and take action on specialist housing advice.
• Lead the work we do together and identify longer-term housing goals and steps that can be taken to achieve them.

Housing Advice Drop Ins

In addition to the group work, our skilled and knowledgeable staff and partners provide one-to-one support for people who come to our drop-in sessions or Bristol Goods food clubs if they need a little extra help addressing the housing barriers they are experiencing. Early Doors, Housing Matters, and Shelter Bristol work together to offer this service to people in the BS13 area.

Get Involved

Our coproduction work brings residents together to identify housing-related issues in their neighbourhoods, and identify solutions and actions to tackle them. We know that residents are experts on the place they live in, and care about creating a community where housing and homelessness issues are addressed. We are also developing specialist youth coproduction groups, enabling young people to explore pathways into housing, and other housing issues important to them.

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 coproduction groups for these areas. These groups also allow us to co-produce our service with insight from the communities we work in. For more information email Karen, our groupwork and outreach coordinator.