Who’s Standing Up for Social Housing Residents?

There’s a typical and slightly downward curve of attention that seems to follow in the wake of every disaster. From the immediate reaction of ‘something must be done,’ the sense of urgency slowly wanes.

Residents are concerned that they are not listened to according to research by Shelter. They recently found that 56 percent of all social renters in England have experienced a problem with their home in the last three years. Problems included electrical hazards, gas leaks and faulty lifts. Ten percent of these had to report the same problem more than ten times.

A New Regulator

One of the proposed reforms was the creation of a tough new regulator – one with real power that would make landlords and management companies sit up and take notice. We don’t seem to be any nearer to this becoming a reality.

Is the focus of the current regulator too much on financial viability and value for money?  These are important, but who’s standing up for residents, their wellbeing and their safety? Perhaps not surprisingly, the Shelter research found that almost three-quarters of social renters have never heard of the current regulator.

“Social tenants need an organisation that focuses solely on their protection, by carrying out regular inspections and responding to the concerns of tenant groups before problems put them at risk. We need to make sure tenants are listened to and protected no matter what.”

Reform is Still Urgent

Somehow, we need to rediscover the sense of urgency. Most social housing landlords welcome change and are not indifferent to the safety and wellbeing of their customers. And while we wait for a proper regulator, one step we can take is to ensure that partnerships between social landlords and their R&M providers genuinely have the needs of residents at the core of all decisions and priorities.