Tenant participation will help drive sustainable change in social housing (across the island of Ireland)

As we stand on the brink of another general election, it is imperative to underscore the pressing nature of the current ‘housing crisis’. This is particularly important in the context of continued underinvestment, rising homelessness and waiting list figures, and reduced new build starts, all of which are compounded by a cost of living crisis the likes of which we have never experienced before. This is a critical moment to remind voters, and politicians, that the current situation must be addressed in a manner that secures long-term benefits for tenants and communities alike.

In the past, public and social housing have been unfairly stigmatised as ‘a tenure of last resort’ for the financially unstable or less fortunate. It's time to shift this outdated rhetoric and recognise it as an opportunity for active, involved tenants to shape the kind of vibrant, sustainable communities we all aspire to live in.

With rising housing costs exceeding many household incomes, fewer people can afford to buy a home or even rent privately. Social housing is now more widely viewed as an attractive alternative, ‘a tenure of choice’, an aspiration for people across the island of Ireland and, indeed, for long-term community stability. We must recognise that in addition to being an affordable place to live, public and social housing presents an opportunity to build places where people are invested in their communities. Additionally, well directed public investment in housing and communities will further protect investment in schools, health services, infrastructure, transport as well as general community safety.

For this vision to become a reality, those living in public and social housing must have a real say in what happens around them. Residents must be given the opportunity to be part of their landlord's decision-making processes, where they can propose changes and have their voices heard on issues that directly affect them. The active involvement of residents ensures that services, policies and practices are tailored to their needs - a feat that cannot be achieved by social housing landlords or policymakers alone.

I feel that tenant engagement is the key to making this possible. By providing residents with the tools and resources to actively participate, communities can be transformed into places where residents are proud to call home. Such an approach with the necessary investment not only creates stable and cohesive communities, and enhances wellbeing and quality of life for tenants, but also promotes better, sustainable practices benefitting social landlords, the wider community and the environment.

On a positive note, social landlords across the island of Ireland have a real opportunity to raise the ‘tenant participation bar’. The recent review of the Regulatory Framework in Northern Ireland (NI), of which I was involved in the Stakeholder Reference Group, rightly recommended an enhancement to the Consumer Standard (CS1: Tenant Participation and Influence) whereby registered housing associations (RHA’s) were asked to ‘proactively consider the communication and information needs of their tenants’. Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland (ROI), the Tenancy Management Standard expects larger approved housing bodies (AHB’s) to ‘proactively encourage and facilitate tenant engagement in the delivery of tenant-related services’, including the establishment of bespoke tenant participation (TP) strategies.

My challenge to political parties and politicians across the island of Ireland would be, ‘Why should Ireland, north and south, not be the benchmark for tenant engagement across these isles and, indeed, further afield?’

In NI, the Department for Communities (DfC) has officially put the publication of a refreshed TP strategy on hold due to a ‘lack of resources’. Supporting Communities and the Housing Policy Panel, (a group of tenants representing the social housing sector in NI), have already contributed a great deal of work and provided commentary on what the next version of the TP strategy should look like, and we believe it would not take much additional work to get it over the line. With the current strategy now four years out of date, we risk momentum stalling, even though many social landlords continue to recognise the importance and value of tenant engagement by continuing to update their respective engagement strategies, with some even taking the plunge to undergo Supporting Communities’ TP Accreditation (an independent assessment of social landlord’s tenant participation activities and processes). It is my plea to DfC and Minister Gordon Lyons to build on the excellent work to date and complete the exercise that DfC officials started back in 2020.

The time is right for change. Investing in social housing, sound housing management and tenant empowerment can build a more equitable society where everyone has the chance to contribute and thrive. We must push for an updated TP strategy in NI, as well as the development and introduction of similar legislation in the ROI which, I feel, will bring us all to the next level of TP!