New Report Calls for Greater Inclusion of Ethnic Minority Voices in Social Housing Engagement
Monday 27th of January 2025
Social housing tenants from ethnic minority backgrounds are underrepresented when it comes to decisions about how their landlords are run, according to a groundbreaking new report.
Tpas, England’s leading tenant engagement expert, has worked in collaboration with the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) on the report, which reveals critical gaps in tenant involvement from ethnic minority communities.
The report, titled "Is There a Seat at the Table?", shows how ethnic minority tenants are underrepresented in formal engagement structures across the sector, with 94% of tenants surveyed saying their landlord could do more to ensure tenants from a wider range of backgrounds have a voice.
Research involving more than 350 tenants and housing staff highlights systemic barriers that prevent voices from being heard, including poor communication, cultural insensitivity and a lack of trust.
More than half of housing staff surveyed said their organisation did not carry out specific work to attract tenants from ethnic minority groups to their influencing structures, while 54% said their influencing structures did not represent the make-up of tenants living in their communities.
More training, flexible engagement structures, better data and proactive campaigns to raise awareness of opportunities to shape policies are amongst the recommendations in the report.
“The voices of ethnic minority tenants have been largely overlooked in decision-making processes,” says Kai Jackson, the report’s lead author.
“Our research aims to bridge this gap by identifying practical solutions to ensure that all tenants, regardless of their background, have a fair and equitable opportunity to engage with their housing providers.”
Dr. Gareth Young, of the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, added:
“This report highlights how crucial it is for the social housing sector to move beyond surface-level commitments to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
“The lived experiences shared in this research show the real impact of systemic barriers. Now is the time for action – to build trust, improve representation, and ensure ethnic minority tenants have a genuine voice in shaping housing policies and services.”
Key Recommendations
The report outlines a series of recommendations to improve tenant engagement and ensure ethnic minority voices are included in shaping housing policies, including:
- Improving Communication and Awareness: Ensuring tenants are aware of engagement opportunities through culturally sensitive and multilingual materials.
- Building Trust and Respect: Moving beyond “tick-box” exercises by visibly acting on tenant feedback.
- Addressing Systemic Barriers: Offering flexible and informal engagement options to encourage participation.
- Strengthening Staff Cultural Competency: Investing in training to improve understanding and responsiveness to diverse communities.
Landlords are also being encouraged to adopt the T.A.B.L.E. principles to provide a structured approach to inclusive engagement. This involves tailored training; actively engaging communities; bringing everyone into the conversation; listening to voices; and ensuring the needs of ethnic minority groups are understood.
The release of this report comes at a pivotal time for the housing sector with new legislation putting the need to be accountable to the voices of tenants at the heart of government plans and new regulation.
Louise Holt, Head of Membership Services at Tpas, said: “This report is a call to action for the sector to implement real changes that will ensure all tenant voices are heard and valued. The recommendations provide a roadmap for achieving meaningful, inclusive tenant engagement.”
“Is There a Seat at the Table? Ethnic Minority Voices in Tenant Engagement” is available to download from Tpas and CaCHE now.