Brighton Housing Trust

Fellow: Louise Crouch

BHT is a charity and a registered housing association working in Brighton & Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings and other parts of Sussex.

BHT’s Mission is to combat homelessness, create opportunities, and promote change and aims to achieve this Mission through a network of interlinked projects. By providing direct, practical services combined with a commitment to challenge the causes of poverty and inequality, we hope to achieve a supportive structure which men and women can use in a variety of ways to improve the quality of their lives.
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Our advice services hold the Specialist Quality Mark and the Asylum/Immigration service is OISC accredited.

Brighton and Hove Advice Services

Our Advice Services in Brighton and Hove provide legal advice on housing, asylum, and related social welfare matters. The service consists of the following:

• A Housing Legal Advice Team – currently consisting of a Team Leader who is a qualified solicitor, a housing solicitor, a senior housing adviser, two housing advisers, and a reception/triage worker.
• The Housing Team’s main contract is with the Legal Aid Agency to provide specialist advice on housing matters and the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme in the Brighton County Court.
• The housing advice service is a partner in the Brighton Moneyworks project to provide housing relate debt advice.
• An Asylum and Immigration Legal Advice Team – currently consisting of a Team Leader who is a qualified solicitor, an immigration solicitor, a senior adviser and two advisers.
• The Asylum and Immigration Team has a contract with the Legal Aid Agency to deliver specialist advice on asylum/immigration.
• The two teams are supported by two legal secretaries.
• The Brighton & Hove Advice Services are also funded by Brighton & Hove City Council.

East Sussex Advice Services

BHT’s East Sussex Advice Services are based in offices in Eastbourne and Hastings.

Eastbourne Advice

The service consists of:

• A Housing Advice Team – currently 2fte housing advisers, the Eastbourne advice services manager and Team Leader who is a qualified solicitor. The solicitor works across the Eastbourne and the Hastings offices
• The office has a contract with the Legal Aid Agency to provide specialist housing advice face to face and to provide the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme Lewes County Court.
• Homelessness Prevention Project – advisers as above (funded by Eastbourne Borough Council)
• Macmillan East Sussex Welfare Benefit Service – 2fte and 0.5fte administrator (funded by Macmillan and in partnership with Money Advice Plus).
• The Lewes Universal Credit Service – 25 hours per week Universal Credit Adviser (funded by Lewes District Council)

Hastings Advice

The service consists of:

• A Housing Advice Team – 1.8 fte housing advisers and a manager
• The office has a contract with the Legal Aid Agency to provide specialist housing advice and to provide Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme.
• Homelessness Prevention Project – staffing as above (funded by Hastings Borough Council)

For further information, visit our website.