Shared Assets is a non-profit supporting individuals, communities and other organisations in managing land for social, environmental and economic benefits.
Among its current initiatives is the Data for Housing Justice project, which aims to understand the data needs of housing movements and translate that knowledge into practical tools and strategies for organising. The project brings together justice groups, tenants' unions, grassroots organisers and campaigners seeking to challenge and change the housing system.
AWO was asked to lead two workshops on data protection and UK GDPR for those involved in the Data for Housing Justice project providing advice on responsible and ethical use of data in the context of housing movements.
- Grounding participants in data protection law In the first workshop, AWO introduced fundamental data protection concepts and the general requirements of the UK GDPR, helping participants understand the essential purpose of data protection law and how its provisions serve that purpose in practice.
- Applying the law to real-world organising For the second workshop, AWO developed bespoke case studies reflecting the actual activities of housing campaigners — including door-to-door surveys and managing casework databases — to show how data protection rules apply directly to their work and how to navigate the challenges these rules may bring.
- Embedding principles into a handbook
The content shared during the workshop was also included in a handbook produced by Shared Assets for those working on the project, on which AWO also provided feedback and advice.
Data protection training is an important method for not only raising awareness about relevant data protection rules but also explaining their application in specific scenarios. For the work with Shared Assets, we learned that merely covering the contents of data protection law is insufficient to ensure a practical understanding of the relevant requirements. This is why we worked with Shared Assets to develop case studies for the second workshop to demonstrate how the UK GDPR impacts the work of housing campaigners and activists and how to navigate the challenges this may bring.
Our biggest takeaway from this work is therefore how essential it is to fit data protection within the perspective of the client rather than simply regurgitating what the law says and that it must be followed. People need to understand why data protection actually matters for what they do before they are motivated to follow its requirements.