A BBC report stating that tenants of housing associations live on “sink estates” has prompted a strong response from residents and landlords.
The BBC yesterday published a news report in which it said: “Those who couldn’t afford to buy [their home through Right to Buy] were left in sink estates run by housing associations.”
The reporting as fact that housing association schemes are ‘sink estates’ has angered a lot of social housing tenants and providers, who saw it as the latest example of the media stereotyping and stigmatising of those who rent from social landlords.
Benefit to Society, a campaign that challenges unfair narratives about social housing tenants, and Inside Housing both encouraged you to show how wrong the BBC is by tweeting about your pride in your homes.
You used the hashtags #notasinkestate and #notasinkhole.
Below is a selection of your tweets:
The view from the front door of one of our blocks in the centre of #Derby, which steps out into the neighbouring convent garden...
— Beth Watson (@Watson_Beth_)
Definitely #notasinkestate !@2BenefitSociety @BBCNews pic.twitter.com/ehUXq86FYvThe view from the front door of one of our blocks in the centre of #Derby, which steps out into the neighbouring convent garden...
— Beth Watson (@Watson_Beth_) September 20, 2018
Definitely #notasinkestate !@2BenefitSociety @BBCNews pic.twitter.com/ehUXq86FYv
@BBCNews @2BenefitSociety @PoplarHARCA I am proudly a social housing tenant @PoplarHARCA @SteveStride_PH and this rooftop garden is on top of my home. #NHF18 pic.twitter.com/OGSDGTp3RX
— Rev James Olanipekun (@Olanipej)@BBCNews @2BenefitSociety @PoplarHARCA I am proudly a social housing tenant @PoplarHARCA @SteveStride_PH and this rooftop garden is on top of my home. #NHF18 pic.twitter.com/OGSDGTp3RX
— Rev James Olanipekun (@Olanipej) September 20, 2018
This is one of our sheltered schemes @BBCNews #socialhousing #notasinkhole pic.twitter.com/OMz5NcWlQ0
— Town & Country (@tandchousing)This is one of our sheltered schemes @BBCNews #socialhousing #notasinkhole pic.twitter.com/OMz5NcWlQ0
— Town & Country (@tandchousing)This is one of our sheltered schemes @BBCNews #socialhousing #notasinkhole pic.twitter.com/OMz5NcWlQ0
— Town & Country (@tandchousing) September 19, 2018
I was born and raised in council and social housing. It saved my life and rescued us when we were homeless. It provided a springboard for me to fulfil my ambitions. The only sink I saw was in our bathroom. @insidehousing #Notasinkestate #NHF18
— Tom Murtha (@tomemurtha)I was born and raised in council and social housing. It saved my life and rescued us when we were homeless. It provided a springboard for me to fulfil my ambitions. The only sink I saw was in our bathroom. @insidehousing #Notasinkestate #NHF18
— Tom Murtha (@tomemurtha) September 20, 2018
Proud to have been born & raised in council housing, loved the community around us, our neighbours, the pub & shops on the estate. It gave me a great start in life for me to fulfil my ambitions. The only sinks were the kitchen and bathroom @insidehousing #Notasinkestate #NHF18
— Mark Simms (@marksimms3)Proud to have been born & raised in council housing, loved the community around us, our neighbours, the pub & shops on the estate. It gave me a great start in life for me to fulfil my ambitions. The only sinks were the kitchen and bathroom @insidehousing #Notasinkestate #NHF18
— Mark Simms (@marksimms3) September 20, 2018
This is just great and an antidote to the BBC sloppy reporting #notasinkestate #nottinghsmcityhomes #benefitToSociety t.co/JimV82Ct1h
— Malcolm Sharp MBE (@malcolm07401817)This is just great and an antidote to the BBC sloppy reporting #notasinkestate #nottinghsmcityhomes #benefitToSociety https://t.co/JimV82Ct1h
— Malcolm Sharp MBE (@malcolm07401817) September 20, 2018
If the @BBCNews thinks that all social housing are in sink hole estates perhaps we should show them why we are so proud of our homes. pic.twitter.com/yqkASJEBJO
— Benefit to Society (@2BenefitSociety)If the @BBCNews thinks that all social housing are in sink hole estates perhaps we should show them why we are so proud of our homes. pic.twitter.com/yqkASJEBJO
— Benefit to Society (@2BenefitSociety) September 19, 2018
Here’s our latest ‘estate’. Looks dreadful doesn’t it pic.twitter.com/GlEN6GI3NE
— Tim Willcocks (@Timwillcocks)Here’s our latest ‘estate’. Looks dreadful doesn’t it pic.twitter.com/GlEN6GI3NE
— Tim Willcocks (@Timwillcocks) September 20, 2018
And here is one of our "sinkhole estates". Get your house in order BBC and stop stigmatising social housing tenants pic.twitter.com/EYbquVks2m
— Dave Richmond (@DaveRichmond_)And here is one of our "sinkhole estates". Get your house in order BBC and stop stigmatising social housing tenants pic.twitter.com/EYbquVks2m
— Dave Richmond (@DaveRichmond_) September 20, 2018
This is one of our sheltered schemes @BBCNews #socialhousing #notasinkhole pic.twitter.com/OMz5NcWlQ0
— Town & Country (@tandchousing)This is one of our sheltered schemes @BBCNews #socialhousing #notasinkhole pic.twitter.com/OMz5NcWlQ0
— Town & Country (@tandchousing)This is one of our sheltered schemes @BBCNews #socialhousing #notasinkhole pic.twitter.com/OMz5NcWlQ0
— Town & Country (@tandchousing) September 19, 2018
Finally a big shout out to digital storyteller John Popham, who first brought the BBC report to our attention.
Mr Popham complained to the BBC and received a response:
Here’s the BBC response to my complaint about their slur on social housing tenants. Anyone feel this is adequate? I don’t. #ukhousing #NHF18 #NHF2018 #notasinkhole pic.twitter.com/jbWl5c4mrh
— John Popham (@johnpopham)Here’s the BBC response to my complaint about their slur on social housing tenants. Anyone feel this is adequate? I don’t. #ukhousing #NHF18 #NHF2018 #notasinkhole pic.twitter.com/jbWl5c4mrh
— John Popham (@johnpopham) September 20, 2018
He then made a video showing how angry he was:
I’m angry! The BBC Broadcasts another slur on social housing tenants! #ukhousing #NHF18 #NHF2018 t.co/FEV3oWIs8z via @YouTube
— John Popham (@johnpopham)I'm angry! The BBC Broadcasts another slur on social housing tenants! #ukhousing #NHF18 #NHF2018 https://t.co/FEV3oWIs8z via @YouTube
— John Popham (@johnpopham) September 20, 2018
A group of 14 associations and their tenants have got together to challenge common narratives about social housing residents through a campaign called Benefit to Society.
As part of this, the campaign has produced a Fair Press for Tenants guide to help journalists portray social tenants and social housing fairly.
Inside Housing is backing the campaign and will help fact-check and scrutinise articles that portray tenants in a negative light.
Send examples of unfair, misleading or inaccurate reports about social housing tenants to carl.brown@insidehousing.co.uk.
In 2015 we launched our Housing Myths website to tackle untrue narratives about social housing.
Here are just a few of the myths we busted at the time.
Myth 1: Social housing goes to single mums
Stories about single mothers believed to think the state “owes them a living” are commonplace. Columnists lament the death of ‘respectable families’ living in social housing and blame the ‘points-based’ allocation system, which they says allows single parents to slip ahead in the queue.
How true is this? While it is correct that councils have a legal duty to house homeless families, that does not mean that single mums make up the majority of the country’s housing estates.
According to CORE data (official social housing statistics), only 19% of social lets go to single parents in England.
Having children does not necessarily guarantee that families will receive a social home. Official figures show that at the end of 2014/15, 46,700 families with children or pregnant women were living in temporary accommodation in England.
Myth 2: Everyone receiving housing benefit is unemployed
Despite some of the headlines, the reality for housing benefit recipients is actually very different. An increasing number of working people are having to claim housing benefit to keep up with their rent payments.
According to the 2013/14 English Housing Survey, almost twice the proportion of working households received housing benefit in 2013/14 than in 2008/09.
In 2008/09, 19% of social renters in work received housing benefit, increasing to 32% in 2013/14. For working households in the private rented sector, the proportion increased from 7% to 14% over the same period.
Myth 3: Benefit fraud takes up a large chunk of the welfare bill
In 2013/14, £1.2bn of benefit was lost due to fraud. The total paid out in benefits was £164bn. So benefit fraud made up less than 1% of the overall welfare bill that year.
However, the total amount of cash lost due to fraud will be less than that, as a lot of the money will be recovered by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Myth 4: Immigrants are taking social housing
The idea that large numbers of foreign nationals are taking up social tenancies has been a pervasive message and the tabloid press often calls for stronger curbs.
But are immigrants ‘jumping the queue’ and moving into social housing in their droves? The evidence would suggest not.
According to CORE data, about 90% of social lettings go to UK nationals. Six per cent are let to people inside the European Union and 4% go to those outside the EU.