Why we're running Stop The Stigma Week
Thursday 24th of June 2021
Louise Thompson, Head of Business Services
Many of our members were disappointed when actions to address the stigma and stereotyping of social housing residents didn't feature more heavily in the recent white paper, and although there was a nod to in part of the paper, many felt this was simply not enough and more needs to be done.
I guess you only have to look at the recent ITN news reports where tenants shared their awful experiences not just of a mould, damp and a poor repairs service but also of how they were treated as second class citizens because as social housing tenants they don’t deserve better because they don’t pay for anything! Clearly then despite the Grenfell and the promises in the Green Paper, this problem has not gone away
So we have decided to act, and have joined with our friends and colleagues at STP and CIH, to deliver the very first See the Person – Stop the Stigma week on the 19th July 2021. This purpose of the week is to
- Raise awareness of the stigma and stereotyping of social housing residents
- Share information and good practice to tackle stigma/stereotyping
- Provide a constructive space for discussion and debate around key issues
- Deliver change through committed actions
Tackling stigma, and breaking the stranglehold of stereotyping in social housing, is something we can all do something about. We can challenge those people who believe that people living in social housing are lazy or scroungers, we can take action to shame those media outlets who still use lazy stereotyping, we can call out friends and family who make unfair assumptions about kids living on council estate, and we can get behind this week of action.
So join with us, STP and the CIH and do your bit, and let’s remove the stranglehold of stigma once and for all