The Stigma with Stop Social Housing Stigma
There’s been a wave of publicity recently around the Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign — a movement said to have been born in the aftermath of Grenfell. And yes, it’s on record: residents were dismissed, labelled as troublemakers, and ignored when they raised concerns that, in hindsight, were deadly serious.
There absolutely is a stigma attached to social housing, and it does need tackling. But if we’re going to address it, we need to do it properly — not through feel-good optics.
Struggling to Hear, Try Listening.
As someone deeply embedded in the housing sector, both as a tenant advocate and through my personal experiences, I've repeatedly seen and heard the same troubling issue; tenants frequently report serious concerns, only to receive silence or inadequate responses from their housing providers. The Housing Ombudsman has highlighted poor communication as a primary concern for residents, and unfortunately, my own experience mirrors this trend.
Who’s That Trip-Trapping Across My Bridge?
In recent weeks, I’ve been accused—not once, but twice—of trolling. And funnily enough, by the same group of people. But let’s get one thing straight: having a difference of opinion does not mean you’re being trolled. Unfortunately, in the housing sector, there’s a pattern of playing the victim while simultaneously blaming others—a topic I’ve covered extensively on the GreenSquareAccord residents' support website.
Disagreements are valuable. They drive change, improve services, and challenge the status quo. We’re told that debate and discussion should be welcomed. But the moment you challenge certain narratives or question the way things are done, the response is often, I’m being trolled!—which simply isn’t true. And in recent weeks and months, that accusation has been thrown around unfairly. So, let’s talk about it.
UK Government's Social Housing Reforms: What You Need to Know
In August 2018, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published a green paper titled "A new deal for social housing," outlining five principles to create a new, fairer deal for social housing residents. The government's response to the call for evidence highlighted concerns about safety and quality, poor handling of complaints, and tenants feeling unheard. The government published a social housing white paper on 17 November 2020, which set out measures to reinforce the regulator's objectives, empower residents, and encourage investment in neighbourhoods. Although the white paper was generally well received, stakeholders expressed concerns over the pace of the proposed reforms, tenants' representation, and resource implications for social housing providers.
Risk of Merging
In recent years, we have seen a trend of UK housing associations merging to form larger providers. While the aim of these mergers is often to improve efficiency, increase resources, and deliver better services to tenants, there are also significant pitfalls to consider.