Race and Housing in Southampton has been working on the "Connecting Communities" BME housing project since 2004. The group is funded by Southampton's Social Housing Partnership:
- Atlantic Housing Association
- Hermitage Housing Association
- HydeMartlet Housing Association
- Swaythling Housing Society
- Testway Housing Association
- Western Challenge Housing Association.
These organisations are Southampton's Preferred Partners, which help to develop affordable housing across the city. They work in partnership with Southampton City Council and Race and Housing in Southampton. This project wants to connect housing providers in the city with local BME communities.
Race and Housing in Southampton plays a central role in this project. It is the sounding board for BME housing issues across the city, and works with Southampton's Social Housing Partnership to promote fairness and race equality in housing.
Race and Housing in Southampton is always looking for volunteers to join it. The group is friendly and informal. Members meet once a month for two hours in a central location. Food and drink is provided, and we do everything we can to make it easy for people to attend. These are some examples of what the group has been involved in:
- Research into the housing needs of Southampton's BME community and publishing the "Connecting Communities" housing report
- Southampton's first inner-city Affordable Housing Roadshow
- The design and construction of an information website
- Monitoring ethnicity figures for Southampton.
If you are a BME resident living in Southampton, we'd like to welcome you to join the group and share your views.
The members are:
Caleb Brewah
Profile to follow.
Nor Gure
Profile to follow.
Pawel Janicki
Profile to follow.
Don John
Don John is the Race Development Officer for Southampton City Council and former Director of Southampton Race Equality Council. He was the architect of the race policies for Southampton City Council Housing Services and was instrumental in urging the Council to pursue some high profile evictions of racist council tenants after helping them to construct racial harassment clauses in the tenancy agreement over 20 years ago.
He was the founder member of the Black and Ethnic Tenants Association; the predecessor of the present Race and Housing Group. He has also been an equality trainer and consultant for most of the social landlords in the region again for over 20 years.
Nadia Mansoor
"I became interested in the housing sector through my work with people who had a history of illegal drug misuse, helping them to find work."
Robert Nagy is an office and technical co-ordinator.
Spiwe Samvura
Spiwe Samvura is a Black & Minority Ethnic Community Development Worker in Adult Mental Health. Her main focus is on African - Caribbean communities in Southampton. She has previously worked in domestic violence, trafficking, substance misuse and HIV/Aids. Spiwe is also a qualified Counsellor/Psychotherapist.
Phil Simmons
"The main skills I contribute to this group come from my experience in dealing with mental healthcare settings for the past 10 years. I joined the group specifically to contribute towards the needs of mentally ill clients in the communities.
I have been on the steering group since it started in 2004 and have enjoyed helping to meet the future housing needs of Southampton's diverse and growing BME communities."
Micheal Theophile
Profile to follow.
Ray Williams
Is a hyde housing resident who is active a member of the Chapel residents committee and neighbourhood watch representative. also acting chairman of the confederation of African Caribbean associations.
If you are interested in joining the steering group, please contact Ranthir Rathore.