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Jenny OsbourneJenny Osbourne is Chief Executive at Tpas – the tenant engagement experts - and has been in this role since 2014. Her previous role was H ...more
Behind the scenes at Alok Sharma’s social housing roadshow
The housing minister is touring the country to meet social housing tenants, but what is he hearing? Jenny Osbourne reveals all.
The housing minister, Alok Sharma, is halfway through a tour of the country to meet with social housing tenants face-to-face to discuss their issues and concerns.
“These meetings would have been unthinkable a year ago.”
Twelve events, meeting more than 1,000 tenants. It’s quite a conversation.
But let’s be clear. These meetings would have been unthinkable a year ago when it seemed no one in government wanted to discuss social housing ever again.
In fact, let’s be even more honest, they would have been unthinkable before the 14 June and the tragic events that unfolded at Grenfell Tower.
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To his credit Alok Sharma has been totally honest and upfront about that and acknowledged the shift in the government’s position.
“Alok Sharma has been honest and acknowledged the shift in the government’s position.”
He has been clear at every meeting that housing is now the prime minister’s number one domestic issue and that the conversations with tenants are driven from what happened and was exposed at Grenfell.
The announcement of the Social Housing Green Paper is imperative to these events.
What the minister hears, and crucially what his civil servants hear at these sessions, we are promised, will form a significant part of what eventually goes in the green paper to be published in spring next year.
Myself and Tpas staff have been at three of the events so far, along with colleagues from the Tenants’ and Residents’ Organisations of England, Confederation of Co-operative Housing and the National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations plus members of the steering group for a new national voice for tenants.
All of us were there to help facilitate the discussions and ensure tenants ideas, good practice and frustrations are heard.
“Mr Sharma is hearing about a whole range of experiences, good and bad.”
And in terms of what he is hearing, very quickly we have seen some common themes and issues emerging.
But rest assured he is hearing about a whole range of experiences, good and bad, and is forming a much clearer, sharper and comprehensive picture of the concerns of social housing tenants.
Without a doubt the biggest issue has been Universal Credit – not fire safety as some may have thought given these are post-Grenfell discussions.
I don’t think that Universal Credit is the main issue for tenants will be a shock for those of us working in housing, but my sense is it may have surprised the minister and his team somewhat for it to be so high up on the agenda.
“The fact that Universal Credit is the main issue for tenants may have surprised the minister.”
Of course, the problem will be what they can do about it given it’s a Department for Work and Pensions remit.
And there’s no doubt that Mr Sharma and his team have got the message that no one sees affordable rent as affordable and that everyone is calling for a return to social rents that people can genuinely afford.
A huge theme has been around isolation, vulnerability and the sense of community.
There is too much to detail in this article but the stories and experiences from tenants have been deeply personal, moving and have hit home.
People want their local communities resourced and invested in and they don’t want to be left isolated either digitally or physically.
“The link between tenant involvement and value for money was made many times”
And there’s been much positivity too. Really pleasing for me obviously with my Tpas hat on, was the amount of examples given of where tenants have made a tangible positive difference to services through their scrutiny or wider engagement.
The link between tenant involvement and value for money was made many times and showcased just what a partnership approach can achieve.
And finally the stigma of social housing came up time and time again. It totally underlines why the work of Benefit to Society is so crucial right now.
Tenants have made a challenge directly to the Minister, that they want to be proud to live in social housing and that the Government and the media have a massive part to play in ensuring that can happen. It was a powerful plea.
And I think it was heard.
It would be easy to be cynical of the exercise being undertaken.
To dismiss this all as only talking to involved tenants, not being representative enough or that nothing will happen as a result.
“Mr Sharma comes across as genuine”
But I think to be so cynical at this time would be a misreading of the situation.
Mr Sharma comes across as genuine.
That’s not just me saying that, but the overwhelming majority of tenants at the events.
He has taken questions from the floor - quite rightly very challenging questions - he has answered them all and he has been honest of past failings.
He’s listening. It’s a good start.
The challenge now is to make sure he continues and that the listening translates in action.
Jenny Osbourne, chief executive of Tpas
