Social Housing Quality Resident Panel
Find out more about government’s Social Housing Quality Resident Panel.
Applies to England
The Social Housing Quality Resident Panel brings together social housing residents from across the country so they can directly share their views with the government and ministers on our approach to driving up the quality of social housing. We are committed to listening to social housing residents, making sure they can have their voices heard and acting on what we hear.
The first meeting of the Social Housing Quality Resident Panel took place in November 2022. Full meetings of the Panel will be supported by smaller, focused discussions.
Resident Panel reports
The Panel have taken part in activities capturing their views on important issues affecting social housing quality.
The first reports were published in August 2023. These reports cover findings from:
- an online community on residents’ experiences of the complaints process with landlords and the Housing Ombudsman. The Panel’s views helped inform the Make Things Right communications campaign.
- a focus group on landlord transparency and the proposed Access to Information Scheme (ATIS) for residents of housing associations. These views are being used to inform the design of the future ATIS public consultation.
The second set of reports were published in December 2023. These reports cover findings from:
- an online community on repairs, maintenance and Awaab’s Law. The Panel’s views helped shape the development of Awaab’s Law.
- a focus group on the experiences of social housing residents with disabilities. These views have increased our understanding of these experiences and is being used to inform further policy thinking.
If you would like to find out more about the Resident Panel representation see the charts that provide a breakdown of the Panel membership.
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.
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.
Updates to this page
Last updated 7 December 2023 + show all updates
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Updated following publication of the second set of Resident Panel reports.
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Updated following publication of the Resident Panel reports.
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Page updated following the first meeting of the Panel.
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Updated following selection of the panel.
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Updated to include message about additional diversity and inclusion survey.
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First published.