Social Housing Resident Panel
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-31)

Find out more about government’s Social Housing Resident Panel.

The Social Housing Resident Panel brings together up to 250 social housing residents from across the country so they can directly share their views with the government and ministers as policy on social housing is developed and reforms implemented. We are committed to listening to social housing residents, making sure they can have their voices heard and acting on what we hear.

Format

Full meetings of the Panel are supported by smaller focus groups and online discussions focused on particular policy issues. Short surveys and questionnaires are also be used to gather views.

When first established in 2022, the Panel focused on a programme of reforms designed to improve the quality of social housing. In 2024, the scope of the Panel was expanded to cover all social housing policy, including measures related to the government’s commitment to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. This expanded scope gives social housing tenants a stronger voice at national level.

Priorities

The Panel vote on their priority topics within social housing policy, with suggestions put forward by Panel members. Officials then look for opportunities for the Panel to influence policy as it is developed, reflecting those priorities.

Resident Panel reports

The Panel have taken part in the following activities capturing their views on important issues affecting their experiences of living in social housing:

an online community on understanding experiences of anti-social behaviour (ASB) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2025). The findings are informing cross-government work to tackle ASB.

focus groups on meaningful and effective resident engagement (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2024) to determine how the Social Housing Regulation Act is being implemented.

focus groups on effective and respectful landlord communications with residents (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2024) which have informed development of the Competence and Conduct Standard, which will set new requirements for social landlords to ensure their staff have the skills, knowledge and behaviours they need to deliver high quality services to tenants.

an online community on understanding landlords in the local community (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2024). The findings were shared with teams working on neighbourhood funding and community assets.

an online community on repairs, maintenance and Awaab’s Law (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2022-to-2023). The Panel’s views helped shape the development of Awaab’s Law.

focus groups on the experiences of social housing residents with disabilities (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2022-to-2023). These views have increased our understanding of these experiences and is being used to inform further policy thinking.

an online community on residents’ experiences of the complaints process with landlords and the Housing Ombudsman (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2022-to-2023). The Panel’s views helped inform the Make Things Right (https://housinghub.campaign.gov.uk/) communications campaign.

a focus group on landlord transparency and the proposed access to information scheme for residents of housing associations (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-resident-panel-reports-2022-to-2023). These views informed the design of the public consultation on the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRS).

Panel members

We want the membership of our Social Housing Resident Panel to represent the diversity of the country’s social housing population. The members of the panel have been selected with the aim of having a good mix of residents who live in different housing types covering England with representation from across a range of demographics and protected characteristics. This data reflects the breakdown of the Panel when recruited in 2022.