Reluctant Heroes
Five people. Five stories. One broken sector.
I’ve said it many times, I never set out to be involved in housing. I certainly didn’t imagine I’d be making podcasts, building websites, or writing about legal cases and service charge scandals. Like so many others, I ended up here because I was backed into a corner. I raised concerns. I was ignored. I spoke louder. I was silenced. And then, like so many others, I refused to stay quiet.
That’s where this idea of the reluctant hero comes from. None of the people featured here — myself included — asked to be campaigners, community organisers, or housing activists. They’re not in it for the spotlight, and most would give anything to go back to just being regular residents in safe, secure, well-run homes. But that wasn’t an option. And when the system fails, you either sink or shout.
Here are five people who chose to shout. Each of them has featured on the Housing Sector Podcast. Each of them is pushing back against injustice in a housing system that’s too often broken by design. These are our Reluctant Heroes.
Dan Bruce – The Unheard Building Safety Crisis
Dan bought what was meant to be his dream home — a sleek, modern apartment in Camden. Instead, he found water leaks, unsafe roofing, and threats of bankruptcy from the very warranty providers who should’ve protected him.
His case became one of the most public examples of just how far developers and regulators will go to dodge responsibility. Dan has named names, challenged politicians (including Keir Starmer), and exposed a system that punishes homeowners for developer failure.
But Dan’s not just fighting for himself. He’s fighting for every leaseholder left trapped in unsafe homes, burdened with service charges, and backed into legal corners. His story is a warning — and a rallying cry.
Jakia Begum – Your Sector, Our Homes
Jakia lives in Tower Hamlets. Like so many tenants, she moved into her flat expecting stability. What she got was sky-high heating costs, unfair charges for services that weren’t being delivered, and the growing realisation that no one in power was listening.
So, she knocked on doors. She formed a residents’ group. She asked questions no one wanted to answer. And when she was fobbed off, she kept pushing — she is now taking her case to the First-Tier Tribunal, fighting through the red tape, and laying bare the emotional cost of challenging a system that’s rigged against the resident.
Jakia isn’t just raising awareness — she’s rebuilding trust from the ground up, creating a collective voice for those who’ve been silenced too long.
Giles Grover – End Our Cladding Scandal
If you know anything about the cladding crisis, you’ve probably heard of Giles Grover. He’s been at the heart of the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign from the start, tirelessly pushing for justice after Grenfell.
But Giles isn’t just about slogans and soundbites. He knows the detail. In our episode, he breaks down the policies, the loopholes, and the profiteering — and shows exactly why buildings under 18 metres remain unsafe, why leaseholders are still paying the price, and why developers keep getting away with it.
Giles is a reluctant hero because he’s had to become one. Because government inaction forced him — like so many others — to turn his personal crisis into a public fight. And because he won’t stop until real reform happens.
Stephen Day – Building Safety Lessons Ignored
Stephen Day has seen the worst of it. Working alongside the late Amanda Walker, he uncovered major safety defects at Royal Artillery Quays — a development that should have been safe, but wasn’t. Amanda’s death, and everything that came before it, pushed Stephen even harder to make sure her voice — and those like hers — would never be forgotten.
Stephen is calling for support of the Building Safety Scheme, challenging councils, and demanding answers from landlords and developers. His work is about more than buildings — it’s about the people inside them, and the lives at risk if we don’t learn from past failures.
In a system where tragedies are too often swept aside, Stephen is making sure they stay front and centre.
Matt Lismore – A Balcony Collapse and a Call for Change
Matt chairs the Weavers Quarter Residents' Association in Barking — an estate where residents have faced repeated safety failures, including dangerously built balconies that literally began to collapse.
Matt didn’t set out to lead a campaign. But faced with structural defects, evasive developers, and a sense that no one was taking responsibility, he stepped up. And he’s been holding them to account ever since.
What makes Matt stand out isn’t just his dedication — it’s his clarity. He connects the dots between local failure and national policy, and he shows why resident advocacy matters now more than ever.
Conclusion – We're Loud Because We’ve Had No Other Choice
If the Chartered Institute of Housing, the National Housing Federation, and countless housing associations are really “listening to the voice of the resident,” then why are so many of us having to shout?
Why are people like Dan, Jakia, Giles, Stephen, and Matt having to build their own platforms, form their own groups, and push back through podcast appearances, tribunals, and press interviews?
The truth is simple. These heroes — and I use that word carefully — are only doing this because the sector has refused to do right by them. Because housing in this country is too often run for profit, not people, and that includes the not-for-profits. Because complaints are ignored. Because leaders are protected. Because the system is failing, and those living in it are the ones left picking up the pieces.
The louder we get, the harder it becomes to ignore us.
These are our homes. And this is our sector, whether they like it or not.
Why not join the conversation, want to be heard?
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