Tackling stigma associated with living in council housing

The stigma of social housing tenants is not new, but the issue came to the forefront following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in 2017 when tenants from across the country spoke out about how they felt stereotyped by the media and ignored by their landlords. The ongoing inquiry into the Grenfell tragedy has since highlighted many examples of tenants feeling unfairly stigmatised as lazy, dangerous or poor simply because of where they live.

Despite a national campaign called Stop Social Housing Stigma unfortunately negative perceptions persist today and so a group of tenants in Southampton decided to investigate the situation locally. They interviewed managers, surveyed staff and tenants, and looked at good practice from other housing providers before publishing a report.

Their key findings included:

• 31% of tenants surveyed said they had felt stigmatised by someone working for the council
• A clear link between stigma and customer care (with tenants feeling they are ignored or not listened to by the council)
• Both staff and tenants feel a perceived lack of action is taken against the minority of tenants who cause the stigma (e.g. by behaving antisocially or not paying rent)

Some tenants spoke out about the how impact of stigma has made them feel like second class citizens. Examples included friends and family refusing to visit because of the perception that council estates are dangerous places, and housing staff not treating tenants’ or their homes with respect.

The Tenant Inspectors are working with us to help tackle stigma and build trust and better relationships. They have made several recommendations including advising the council to be more caring and respectful to tenants, their homes and communities, and to listen to, appreciate and act on tenants’ concerns.

“As tenants we feel passionately that everyone should be treated fairly regardless of where someone lives,” said Ann, one of our Tenant Inspectors. “Our report clearly shows that sadly stigma does occur within Southampton, and we are pleased that the council acknowledges the issues and is working to challenge the stigma where it exists.”

You can read the full report online. If you would like to volunteer as a Tenant Inspector and get involved in future investigations into matters affecting tenants, please contact our Tenant Engagement Team.