Do we need a Union?

On Saturday 11th October 2025, SHAC (Social Housing Action Campaign) is hosting an event in London to explore the creation of a National Tenants and Residents Union — an initiative that could reshape the housing sector by giving tenants a stronger, united voice. More about the event here.

Whether you’re attending in person, watching the stream, or catching up afterwards, the question at the heart of this moment remains the same - Do we need a union?

The Issues…

There are real, tangible problems facing housing associations — and they must be acknowledged. In many cases, they have been. The shortage of homes is perhaps the most obvious. The shortage of funding comes close behind. And, at some point, we may even be forced to reckon with a shortage of land itself. We are a growing population, and we need somewhere to live.

When housing is done right — and it often is — it becomes the cornerstone of society. More than that, our homes are where we regroup and regain our strength. Where we love. Where we feed and raise our children. Within those walls, families grow, memories are made, and roots are put down. A home sits at the heart of every community, but also at the heart of every family.

We gather around Christmas trees. We redecorate. We hang photos of loved ones, mark our children’s heights on door frames, and turn empty spaces into something personal. Into something safe. A good home becomes an extension of who we are. So, when a housing association gets it right, that is a victory — and it should be celebrated.

Too often, it isn’t. And I hold my hands up here — I’ve not always been the best at celebrating those wins. I’ll endeavour to do better. Because there are many dedicated people working in housing who genuinely care, and there are successes worth recognising. But if we’re going to talk about what’s working, we also have to talk about what’s not.

My own journey began ten years ago. I raised what I believed were simple, reasonable complaints — leaks, broken locks, windows that wouldn’t open or close, failed lifts, damp, and more. Familiar problems. Problems that will ring true for so many reading this today.

My surprise wasn’t just that these issues weren’t quickly resolved. It was the lengths my housing provider went to in order to ignore me. To silence me. When I realised just how far they’d go to avoid accountability, I began putting my experiences online. And that’s when I discovered I wasn’t alone.

The same patterns. The same silencing. The same neglect.

Now let’s be clear: a union won’t fix your mould problem. It won’t patch your roof or install fire extinguishers. Those are practical service failures that landlords must take responsibility for. But what a union can do is support people like me — and people like you — who have been ignored, dismissed, and in some cases, villainised for daring to speak out.

I receive emails every day from people in this position. So does SHAC. We see the messages. We hear the desperation. And we see a sector that, perhaps out of its own inability to resolve these issues, has resorted to avoiding them instead.

That’s why we need a union.

The gaps…

The focus of housing associations seems to have shifted — and not by accident. Over the last couple of decades, we’ve seen a slow but clear move away from being people-centric to being finance-focused. Leadership that once prioritised communities and service has been replaced by executives with backgrounds in banking, development, and risk management. Today, it’s about securing funding, managing debt portfolios, and maintaining favourable credit ratings. It’s not about the people living in the homes.

And while the sector changed, so did the residents. The makeup of the consumer has evolved. Today’s tenants and leaseholders are more aware of their rights. They know how to find each other. They share information online. They organise.

The rise of social media has transformed everything. People can now find others affected by the same issues — not just in their block or their town, but across the country. They can join groups, share evidence, and amplify each other’s voices.

It wasn’t always like this. Not long ago, a complaint letter could be acknowledged, filed away, forgotten, and left to gather dust in a cabinet. Years later, if that same resident had the persistence, the energy, and the resources to escalate their case, they might eventually reach the Housing Ombudsman. But most didn’t. Most couldn’t.

The Ombudsman itself has gone through a transformation, but the reality is still bleak. The case files grow. The turnaround time remains long. And even when a decision goes in the resident’s favour, the outcomes are often toothless: a slap on the wrist, some bad publicity, or a token payment that might help a tenant cover some bills but means nothing to a multi-million-pound landlord. It certanly doesn’t fix the problem.

Housing associations promise to “do better.” Other regulators — like the Regulator of Social Housing — can issue a downgrade, which does create bad publicity, complicates funding, and might even make a CEO sweat. But again, it doesn’t fix the leak or the damp making a child wheeze.

Then there are the sector bodies. The Chartered Institute of Housing. The National Housing Federation. They present themselves as drivers of improvement. But residents know they’re too financially entwined with the very housing associations they’re supposed to hold to account. They have no bite.

What about MPs? Surely it’s in their interest to ensure their constituents have homes that are warm, safe, dry, and affordable. But here’s the rub: how can the same MPs — under the same government — who desperately need housing associations to build millions of homes also come down hard on them when things go wrong? They can’t. It’s a conflict built into the system.

And where does that leave us? Where does it leave single parents? Children in overcrowded or damp homes? Fathers trying to juggle care? Families looking after elderly relatives? They don’t have time to chase complaints, draft formal letters, and navigate a maze of regulators.

This advocacy work has taken over my life. It’s impacted my finances, my job opportunities, my mental health. It’s a full-time job — one I’ve had to manage around a full-time job. And I’m not alone.

This is why we need a union.

The Power…

Isolated and alone, we can complain. We can escalate. We can make noise. But we can also be managed. Silenced. Ignored.

Over the last ten years, I’ve supported residents in my own block with complaints and reports. And while my neighbours have always appreciated the help, many have been reluctant to speak out themselves — and with good reason. There’s a real fear when it comes to risking your tenancy, your lease, your shared ownership agreement. A fear of losing your home. That fear is justified. I don’t blame anyone for staying quiet.

But things are changing. 

Over the past few months, I’ve watched the numbers grow. This week, we’re mounting a collective push on service charges. Where once there were two or three residents willing to co-sign a letter, now more than 50% of the block are ready to say: enough’s enough.

That’s where our power comes from.

A union — by its very name and nature — unites us. It connects you with someone across the country who’s facing the same problem. It connects them with someone facing a different one. And it connects all of us to something stronger.

Through a union, we can build knowledge. We can pool legal expertise. We can support tenants, together — funded by tenants, for tenants — independent of the housing associations, regulators, and sector bodies that so far have lacked real bite.

I’ve been through multiple legal battles with my housing association. And yes, I’ve won each time. But I’ve also suffered harassment. I’ve endured their misinformation campaigns. I’ve faced attempts to discredit me, isolate me, and wear me down. I’m now preparing to bring legal action of my own.

Let me tell you — standing in court on your own, with no legal background and no financial cushion, facing a housing association backed by barristers, reputation managers, and super-lawyers — it’s lonely. You learn fast, or you lose. That’s the reality.

But imagine walking into that courtroom with the backing of a union. With legal expertise. With shared experience. With funding. With people who have your back. That changes everything.

More importantly, housing associations would think twice before resorting to legal intimidation if they knew they’d be facing a national tenants union with resources, lawyers, and a platform. They wouldn’t just be silencing one person — they’d be risking a public showdown they couldn’t control.

And when those stories are told — through the union — we’ll make sure they’re heard. And when change is needed — through the union — we’ll make sure it happens.

You're not alone. You're not powerless. You're not without options.

That’s the power of a union. And with that power, we can return to what this was always about: fixing the roof. Making the home safe. Making it fire compliant. Making it free of damp and mould. Making it somewhere you want to live.

That’s why we need a union.

Rebalancing the Power…

A union isn’t just about the good fight. Yes, the fight is necessary — because of how many of us have been treated. Because of what’s been allowed to take root in housing associations. A culture where it’s acceptable to ignore first, then dismiss and deny, then lie and harass, and finally bully and silence.

That culture exists. And many of us have experienced it first-hand.

But a union is about more than resistance. It’s about rebalancing power — and then using that power wisely.

When we unite, we become the majority voice in the housing sector. Not the CEOs. Not the communications teams. Not the conference panels. Us. The people who live in these homes. The people paying rent and service charges. The people raising children, caring for relatives, trying to live with dignity.

And when we speak with one voice, things start to shift.

Housing associations will have to listen. So will the Housing Ombudsman. The Regulator of Social Housing. Local councillors. MPs. Political parties. A national tenants and residents union has the power to become a trusted stakeholder — not just for holding bad landlords to account, but for shaping a better future.

Because this isn’t about tearing things down. It’s about building something better — together.

A union can work with housing providers who want to improve. It can promote best practice, support cultural change, and amplify the voices of staff on the inside who also want things to be better. It can help rebuild trust where it’s been lost.

It can campaign for stronger safety regulations. For proper funding. For fairer complaint systems. For affordable rents and honest service charges. For tenant protections that actually mean something. For homes that are warm, dry, safe, and affordable — not just on paper, but in real life.

And it can bring people together — not just to complain, but to contribute. To share knowledge. To train and educate. To build local networks of support. To take pride again in our communities and in social housing itself.

Because housing in this country used to be something we could be proud of.

It can be again.

That’s why we need a union.

The Future…

So look — whether you’re sceptical, uncertain, afraid, or ready to embrace the idea of a union... 

whether you’re a resident who needs one, or someone still figuring out where you stand... now’s the time to join the debate.

If you can attend the SHAC event on Saturday 11th October, please do. It would be great to have you there.

If you’re watching online — brilliant. Take part. Share your thoughts. Add your voice.

And if you believe in the idea, even just a little — then share it. Support it. Get involved.

From little acorns, great things grow.

Let’s build a union. Let’s build it together.