Social Housing Quality Resident Panel

Housing Secretary Michael Gove said:

This government will not stand for any tenant being mistreated and we are acting to ensure they get the safe and decent homes they deserve.

For too long, tenants have been denied a proper voice – this ends today. Our new Residentsresidents Panelpanel will ensure that tenants are at the heart of reforms to social housing.

I look forward to working with the Panelpanel to drastically raise the standard of social housing across the country.

The Resident Panel is also supported by a national survey of social housing residents. The survey was designed to understand the experiences and satisfaction of social housing residents in terms of their accommodation and their landlord.

Topics of discussion

Residents should live in good-quality homes and neighbourhoods and feel safe and secure. They should know how their landlord is performing, be treated with respect and have their voice heard, and if they feel their landlord does not provide this service, be able to make a complaint promptly and fairly.

At the first meeting of the Resident Panel members set out their priorities for discussion, which included standards, repairs and maintenance, the transparency and accountability of landlords, and how complaints are handled by landlords and the Housing Ombudsman. The experience of residents with disabilities and complex needs was also a priority for the Panel.panel.

Wider issues which may impact on social housing quality, such as waiting lists, how much new social housing should be built and where this should be located, will not be discussed formally as part of this Resident Panel. We know these are important issues for many residents but want to ensure the Panel is focused on the specific measures we are taking to drive up quality.

Format of the meetings

The Social Housing Quality Resident Panel brings 250 social housing residents from across the country together, who will meet quarterly for the foreseeable future.

Full meetings of the Panel will be supported by smaller focus groups and online discussions. Short surveys and questionnaires may also be used to gather views.

Questions and answers

Who is on the Resident Panel?

The Resident Panel is made up of around 250 social housing residents from across the country to share their views with the government and ministers on our approach to driving up the quality of social housing. Over 1,000 residents applied to take part.

We have ensured the Panel has a broad mix of residents from different regions and types of landlords. We want to hear from residents who are already engaged through resident associations, and those who are not, so that there is a mix of experience on the panel.

You can find more details on the membership of the panel.

Will the panel meet in person?

Currently, the planned activities for the panel are all due to take place online. We want the panel to be accessible to people regardless of where they live, or their other work and caring requirements.

Will you share my information with anyone else?

No. All information shared will be treated confidentially and we will ensure that you cannot be identified. The privacy notice sets out how we will protect your data, and how it will be used.

How have you chosen which residents will join the Panel?

We have ensured the Panel has a broad mix of residents from different regions and types of landlords. We want to hear from residents who are already engaged through resident associations, and those who are not, so that there is a mix of experience on the panel.

Why are you not talking about wider issues, such as waiting lists or supply of social housing?

We know there are many issues social housing residents will want to raise. We want to focus discussion on measures which will directly drive improvements in social housing quality, to ensure discussions are focused and recommendations for the government are specific to this issue.

The topics for future activities will be shaped by the Resident Panel members. They will also be informed by what we have heard are important to residents through surveys and evidence we have gathered as part of our programme for reform.

At the first meeting of the Resident Panel, members told us their top priorities were repairs and maintenance; transparency and accountability of landlords; and how complaints are handled by landlords and the Housing Ombudsman.

We will also focus on different parts of the ongoing social housing quality programme at future events, looking at when ministers have upcoming decisions so that we can seek the Panel’s views to help shape those new policies.

Why is the Panel only open to residents in England?

Social housing is a devolved issue. Separate arrangements apply in the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Is the Resident Panel a national tenant voice?

We know that ‘national tenant voice’ can mean different things to people. The Resident Panel will have a specific purpose, which is to discuss our social housing quality programme and the measures within this. We want residents’ experiences and views to shape our approach to improving quality in social housing.

What is the long-term future for the Resident Panel?

We have made a commitment to 12 months of activity. We want to discuss what works well with the Panel members themselves and will provide an update next year about the long-term future of the Panel.

Can shared owners, leaseholders and residents of supported housing apply?

We will consider how to improve the quality of social housing for all residents of social housing, including those who rent, leaseholders, and shared owners. All social housing residents are welcome to apply.