Is There a Seat at The Table: Ethnic Minority Voices in Tenant Engagement
Wednesday 19th of February 2025
Early this year we launched the report ‘Is There a Seat at The Table? Minority Voices in Tenant Engagement’ and on the 6th February 2025 we presented the findings at a webinar, which we were delighted brought in so many people, and who showed their support for the work. We were flooded with lots of brilliant questions, many of which we didn’t have time to cover properly, so we thought we would take this opportunity to explore some of these a little further through this blog.
How was the data collected, and were ethnic minority tenants directly involved in shaping the report?
The project, which has been driven by the noticeable lack of meaningful engagement of tenant from minoritised ethnic backgrounds in engagement with their registered provider, wanted to explore why this was the case, to help understand why some people do get involved, and why others don’t, and to see where the barriers to meaningful engagement lie. In doing so, we ensured that we got to speak to as many tenants and staff as possible through an online survey (which was completed by 178 tenants and 175 staff members) and a series of focus groups. Throughout the report the research team, led by Kai, were engaging with ethnic minority tenants, and the framing of the work was informally shaped by tenants who have faced discrimination or barriers to engaging with their landlords.
How does the report define "meaningful engagement" for ethnic minority voices, and how can this be measured?
In developing this project it was important to look at the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 and to see the definition of engagement used in policy and as there was no clear guidelines. It was important that I didn’t create another barrier from this report. As shown in the report, engagement can come in different forms, but the main purpose is the actively listen to tenants’ voices through meaningful engagement. Meaningful engagement can be seen as respectful, dignified and equitable inclusion of individuals with lived experience in a range of collaborative processes where tenants have a meaningful influence on the decision-making process. This should be done with genuine and transparent intentions. In the report meaningful engagement included, estate walkabouts, community potluck events or a welfare call. This could then be measured by:
- Do you know your tenants and are you targeting your outreach to those voices that are normally unheard?
- Are resources better managed to areas of concern?
- Are you looking at accessing funding that may support diverse groups of people?
- Have you seen an increase in ethnic minority engagement?
- Targeted community engagement.
What practical steps can housing providers take to ensure ethnic minority tenants feel genuinely included in tenant engagement?
Housing providers can look at their EDI policy and corporate planning to see how they align in their need and planning to make sure ethnic minority tenants are included in their governance, this will be the overarching step. For the more initial steps, providers can target their 'silent' voices. Knowing the diversity of your tenant base and proactively engaging with them through issues affect them, their homes and community. As stated in the report, tenants want to have their housing provider more visible around their community. Additional steps also include digital and pictorial visibility which show inclusivity based around the findings of 'If you can see it, you can be it'. This is also where the guide of the T.A.B.L.E principals can also support in the development of new ideas and programmes. Targeting tenants and giving them the options and avenues to have their voices heard and part of the conversation with all tenant facing concerns. Letting people know their voice and lived experience will make a valued contribution and most importantly acted upon.
What role can ethnic minority tenants play in shaping housing policies beyond engagement?
It is important for ethnic minority tenants to get involved with their social landlords, as their input will help to highlight gaps in service delivery and reduce communication barriers, making practical enhancements to policy and practice for the communities in which housing providers are serving. It is also beneficial for tenants to know about national policies that effects how social landlords are run and tenant rights, so taking part in national government consultations and other campaign groups that benefit equitable outcomes for all tenants which can help to raise the profile of the barriers that people from minoritised ethnic groups face. Tenants could also attend conferences and meetings where your perspective and experiences could be heard, nationally and locally and this can help to build up new contacts and sometimes lead to meaningful partnerships.
How can housing providers be held accountable for implementing the report's recommendations?
The T.A.B.L.E. principles are a framework for tenant engagement which is accountable to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) under the Social Housing Regulations Act 2023, but social landlords main accountability are to tenants, to make sure they are doing all they can to hear a wide range of diverse voices. Accountability also lies in each board member, CEO and staff member to make sure tenants are heard and issues acted upon.
Working from the key recommendations and T.A.B.L.E. principles, we look forward to working with and hearing more about the work being done in the sector to address the barriers, support communities and build on engagement with ethnic minority tenants. To us, success will come when we hear from tenants and landlords about how these T.A.B.L.E. principles have been used, and the positive outcomes we see through meaningful engagement that represents all tenants in a community.
How does the report address intersectionality within tenant engagement?
This leads onto a very important question that was raised, and something we had talked about as a research team. We recognise that different aspects of a person’s identity overlap, and in doing so create unique experiences of discrimination and disadvantage. As this was the first step to exploring marginalised voices within tenant engagement structures, we needed to start somewhere and develop a baseline. We recognise that this is a limitation of the research, but we very much see this as the beginning of a longer-term, sector-wide conversation about ensuring everyone has a seat at the table. It was great that this was recognised and reflected on during the webinar, and is something we are exploring for future activity.
Are there plans to revisit the findings in the future and assess progress?
We certainly hope so. We see this work as at the beginning, and through collaboration with tenants, landlords and the wider housing sector, we hope that we can see the T.A.B.L.E principles adopted, and over time enhanced accordingly, to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table when it comes to making decisions about their lives, homes and community.