Policy Briefing: Social Housing Resident Panel, Strengthening Resident Voice in National Housing Policy
The Social Housing Resident Panel is a national initiative that brings together up to 250 residents from across England to inform the development of social housing policy. Established in 2022 and expanded in 2024, the Panel provides a structured mechanism for residents to share their lived experiences directly with government and ministers as reforms are developed and implemented.[1]
A Shift Toward Resident-Centred Policy?
The Panel was originally created to support the implementation of the Social Housing White Paper, which introduced reforms to improve landlord accountability, strengthen regulation, and raise service standards. In 2024, its remit was broadened to cover all aspects of social housing policy, including the government’s commitment to deliver the largest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
Under the current Labour Government, there is a renewed emphasis on:
- Rebuilding trust between tenants and landlords
- Improving housing quality and safety
- Delivering a new generation of affordable homes
- Embedding tenant voice in decision-making at every level
The Panel supports these objectives by ensuring that policy is grounded in lived experience and responsive to the realities of social housing. It also aligns with the new consumer regulation regime introduced in April 2024, which places greater emphasis on transparency, accountability, and tenant empowerment.[2]
Resident Engagement: Sector Context and Challenges
Resident engagement in social housing has long been recognised as a driver of service improvement, community cohesion, and accountability. However, recent research suggests that engagement is under pressure:
- A Riverside scrutiny report found that 90% of surveyed residents felt they had no meaningful influence over their housing services, citing poor communication, inaccessible engagement structures, and a lack of trust in landlord responsiveness.[3]
- TPAS and the Local Government Association identified that only 70% of tenants were aware of engagement opportunities, and just 30% felt they had any influence, highlighting a disconnect between formal engagement structures and resident experience.[4]
- The Resident Voice Index and LSE (London School of Economics) Housing and Communities have both emphasised the need for inclusive, accessible, and responsive engagement models, particularly in light of post-Grenfell reforms.[5][6]
These findings underscore the importance of initiatives lyike the Social Housing Resident Panel, which aim to reset the relationship between residents and policymakers.
How the Panel Operates
The Panel uses a multi-format engagement model to ensure accessibility and flexibility:
- Full Panel Meetings: Strategic discussions involving all members
- Focus Groups: Thematic sessions on issues such as anti-social behaviour, repairs, and disability inclusion
- Online Communities: Digital platforms for residents to share views asynchronously
- Surveys and Polls: Broader engagement tools to capture national sentiment and emerging trends
This structure enables participation from residents with varying levels of availability, digital access, and engagement experience. It also supports both formal and informal modes of engagement, from tenant boards to ad hoc feedback forums.[7]
Resident-Led Priorities
Panel members vote on the issues they wish to prioritise. Recent areas of focus include:
- Tackling anti-social behaviour and improving community safety
- Ensuring effective implementation of Awaab’s Law, particularly around damp and mould
- Improving landlord communication and transparency
- Embedding disability access and inclusion in housing policy
- Strengthening complaints handling and the role of the Housing Ombudsman
These priorities are actively shaping departmental workstreams and informing cross-government initiatives.
Impact to Date
The Panel has contributed to several key developments:
- Competence and Conduct Standard: Resident input helped define expectations for landlord staff professionalism and respectful engagement
- Make Things Right Campaign: Insights informed a national campaign to raise awareness of tenant rights and complaints processes
- STAIRS (Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements): Feedback helped shape the design of this proposed scheme to improve transparency from landlords
- Repairs and Maintenance Policy: Resident experiences influenced responses to damp and mould, particularly under Awaab’s Law
These contributions demonstrate the value of resident voice in shaping policy that is both effective and grounded in real-world experience.
Diversity and Representation
A core objective of the Panel is to reflect the diversity of England’s social housing population. When first recruited in 2022, the Panel included:
- Residents from general needs, supported, sheltered, and temporary housing
- A wide geographic spread across urban, suburban, and rural areas
- A mix of ages, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations
- Tenants with physical, sensory, and mental health conditions
- Representation from local authority, housing association, and other registered providers
Recent engagement research has highlighted barriers to participation, including time constraints, lack of flexible engagement options, and perceptions of exclusivity in existing structures. To address this, the Panel is actively seeking to broaden its reach in 2025, with a focus on:
- Young adults and first-time tenants
- Residents from minority ethnic backgrounds
- Disabled tenants and carers
- LGBTQ+ residents
- People living in rural or isolated areas
How does this link to our work on data from the Social Housing Regulator and the Housing Ombudsman Service?
The work we have done on the HOS (Housing Ombudsman Service) complaints reveals a high volume of maladministration findings across England. Some of the most frequent issues include:
- Mishandling of anti-social behaviour (ASB)
- Poor complaint handling
- Delays in repairs and maintenance
- Failure to recognise tenant vulnerabilities
- Inadequate record keeping and communication
These failures are not isolated, they reflect systemic weaknesses in landlord governance, responsiveness, and tenant engagement.
The Social Housing Resident Panel provides a structured mechanism for surfacing these issues before they escalate to formal complaints or legal action. The Panel’s priorities, such as damp and mould, ASB, repairs, and communication, mirror the most common maladministration themes identified by the Ombudsman. This alignment validates the Panel’s role as a strategic early warning system.
Landlords that performed well in the Tenant Satisfaction measures, through work we have done analysing this data, consistently demonstrated:
- Accurate record keeping
- Timely repairs
- Multi-agency collaboration
- Tenant engagement and scrutiny
These practices are not just good governance, they are predictors of regulatory compliance and resident satisfaction. The Panel helps embed these principles into national policy by ensuring reforms are grounded in lived experience.
Ombudsman cases frequently cite failures to recognise or respond to tenant vulnerabilities, especially around mental health, disability, and safeguarding. The Panel’s emphasis on inclusion and diverse representation is therefore not just ethical, it is essential to equitable service delivery.
Compensation awards in maladministration cases range from £100 to over £10,000, with higher amounts linked to prolonged distress, health impacts, and safeguarding failures. These figures highlight the cost of poor service, to residents, landlords, and the public purse. It is imperative to stress that investing in resident voice and proactive engagement is not only ethical, but a cost-effective strategy for reducing complaints and improving outcomes.
The Ombudsman frequently recommends:
- Staff training
- Policy reviews
- Improved record keeping
- Better communication
The Panel can help shape these reforms, ensuring they reflect tenant priorities and are implemented in ways that build trust. It also provides a feedback loop for government to monitor the effectiveness of regulatory changes.
The Social Housing Resident Panel is not just a consultation tool, it is a strategic asset. It can help government and policymakers:
- Identify systemic risks
- Validate policy priorities
- Promote best practice
- Embed equity and inclusion
- Reduce financial and reputational risk
In a sector facing rising demand, regulatory reform, and public scrutiny, the Panel offers a data-backed, resident-led model for improving housing outcomes and rebuilding trust.
Applications Now Open
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is currently recruiting new members to join the Social Housing Resident Panel. This is an opportunity for residents to contribute directly to national policy and help shape the future of social housing.
Key details:
- Deadline to apply: 11:00pm, Sunday 7 September 2025
- Eligibility: Any social housing resident in England—no prior experience required
- Selection criteria: A broad mix of residents across regions, housing types, ages, ethnicities, and lived experiences
- Start date: Autumn 2025
- How to apply: Visit GOV.UK or email
Conclusion
The Social Housing Resident Panel represents a significant step forward in embedding resident voice within national housing policy. It supports the government’s wider objectives around accountability, inclusion, and housing reform, and offers a practical mechanism for co-producing policy with those who live in social housing.
For policy professionals, housing providers, and resident groups, the Panel provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen engagement, improve service design, and ensure that future reforms are shaped by those with direct experience of the system.
For any more information, or other policy related inquiries, please contact:
Harrison Box, Policy Officer
References
“Resident Voice | Home - Resident Voice Index.” 2024. Resident Voice Index. February 19, 2024. https://residentvoiceindex.com.
“Resident Voice Draft Report for Consideration by the Riverside Customer Voice Executive 1 Resident Scrutiny Panel -OH/Riverside London Scrutiny Panel Investigation Report: The Resident Voice.” n.d. Accessed August 7, 2025.
London School of Economics and Political Science. 2021. “Giving Social Housing Tenants a Voice.” London School of Economics and Political Science. 2021. https://www.lse.ac.uk/Research/research-impact-case-studies/2021/giving-social-housing-tenants-a-voice.
“Social Housing Resident Panel.” 2022. GOV.UK. March 28, 2022. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/social-housing-quality-resident-panel..
“Social Housing Resident Panel - Meaningful and Effective Resident Engagement Panel Member Report -Focus Groups.” 2025.
“Social Housing Resident Panel Reports 2025.” 2025. GOV.UK. July 9, 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2025..
Tenant Engagement Experts. n.d. “Engaging and Empowering Tenants in Council-Owned Housing.” Https://Www.thinkhouse.org.uk/. https://www.thinkhouse.org.uk/site/assets/files/1459/tpas.pdf.
[1] “Social Housing Resident Panel.” 2022. GOV.UK. March 28, 2022. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/social-housing-quality-resident-panel..
[2] “Social Housing Resident Panel - Meaningful and Effective Resident Engagement Panel Member Report -Focus Groups.” 2025.
[3] “Resident Voice Draft Report for Consideration by the Riverside Customer Voice Executive 1 Resident Scrutiny Panel -OH/Riverside London Scrutiny Panel Investigation Report: The Resident Voice.” n.d. Accessed August 7, 2025.
[4] Tenant Engagement Experts. n.d. “Engaging and Empowering Tenants in Council-Owned Housing.” Https://Www.thinkhouse.org.uk/. https://www.thinkhouse.org.uk/site/assets/files/1459/tpas.pdf.
[5] “Resident Voice | Home - Resident Voice Index.” 2024. Resident Voice Index. February 19, 2024. https://residentvoiceindex.com.
[6] London School of Economics and Political Science. 2021. “Giving Social Housing Tenants a Voice.” London School of Economics and Political Science. 2021. https://www.lse.ac.uk/Research/research-impact-case-studies/2021/giving-social-housing-tenants-a-voice.
[7] “Social Housing Resident Panel Reports 2025.” 2025. GOV.UK. July 9, 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2025..
