Published: 9 Mar 2018 by Kate Webb

In early March, we saw the first meeting of the commissioners who will be steering our Big Conversation looking at the future of social housing.

We’ve promised the commissioners that we’ll keep the content of their meetings confidential, so that they have the space to debate and deliberate. But suffice to say we were really pleased with the enthusiasm in the room.

We’ve deliberately drawn our commissioners from a broad range of political persuasions and backgrounds, but they all stressed their commitment to reaching consensus and setting out a bold vision for social housing.

Fittingly, our chair Mike Long, minister of the Notting Hill Methodist Church, began the meeting with a moment’s silence for the victims of the Grenfell fire. This was a reminder of the urgency underpinning this project and the need to come up with robust solutions.

Our staff will be supporting the commissioners by providing a range of research inputs outlining the current challenges facing social housing and opportunities for reform.

We’ve commissioned the research agency Britain Thinks to carry out in-depth research with current and potential social tenants to gain rich insight into their experiences and hear their thoughts on how to make social housing fit for the future.

Have your say

But we want to make sure everyone has a chance to have their say. That’s why we’ve also launched a consultation on our website where anyone can share their views. If you are a social tenant, are frustrated with the current housing market, or just want to share your opinions, please complete our survey.

We want to make sure that the commissioners’ recommendations are informed by a broad range of views and are grounded in evidence. For this reason, we’ve also launched a call for evidence to make sure that we’re supplying them with all the facts. If you’re a professional body, tenants’ organisation or anyone else with evidence to share, please let us know your thoughts.

The commissioners will meet again in May, but are already going out and about to hear from tenants. With housing high on the political agenda, it’s more important than ever to talk about how social housing can play its part in fixing the housing crisis. This is an opportunity to make sure everyone has their voice heard.

Answer our survey to have your say on social housing.