Housing association tenant North West

Lynne has been a tenant of RBH (Rochdale Boroughwide Housing) for nearly 50 years and has been actively involved for most of that time.  In particular she participated in the founding of her local Estate Management Board, and she served as the Vice Chair of RBH’s Representative Body – the panel that seeks to represent RBH’s tenant and staff members as a mutual housing organisation.

Joining SSHS to help raise awareness of social housing stigma that exists in communities and to challenge it, Lynne serves as SSHS’s Chair.

Housing Association tenant North East

A tenant of Riverside Housing since 2010, Sally is currently a member of Riverside’s Disability Awareness Panel, an EDI Committee member and the Vice Chair of a small housing board in the North East.  However, Sally was previously a member of Riverside’s North East Regional Board and the Group Board till 2021.

Having been involved in campaigning for a national voice for tenants, Sally became involved in SSHS when it started in 2017.  She is passionate about amplifying tenant voices and ensuring that tenants are listened to.

Local authority tenant London

A tenant of London Borough of Croydon, Yaw has been actively involved for over 18 years.  Until recently the Chair of Croydon’s Tenants and Leaseholders Panel, he has served on various panels in the Borough.  Drawn to causes that promote resident wellbeing and a healthy tenant/landlord relationship, Yaw got involved with SSHS shortly after its inception.  Passionate about addressing stigma in social housing, he immediately recognised the same passion and enthusiasm amongst other panel members.  In serving as SSHS’s vice chair, Yaw is committed to flying the flag for fair representation for residents who live in social housing.

Housing association tenant Yorkshire

Pam has been an engaged tenant of South Yorkshire Housing Association for nearly 20 years.  As a Board member and a Scrutiny Panel member, Pam plays a key role in her housing association.

Passionate about giving everyone a voice to stop the stigma frequently aimed at those living in social housing, Pam has been part of the Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign since it started in 2017.

Housing association tenant North West

Having been involved with Progress Housing Group’s Tenant Forum and Tenant Scrutiny Group for over 20 years, Fiona became involved with the Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign almost from its inception in 2017.  Now Stop Social Housing Stigma’s Treasurer, Fiona has had lifelong experience of social housing stigma, partly because of her disabilities and how they interact with other diverse forms of stigma. With a strong faith as a Christian, Fiona tackles life head on with a strong sense of positivity – a positivity she brings to eradicating the scourge of social housing stigma.

Housing association tenant South West

My name is Colin Lincoln – tenant with LiveWest 7 years. I was invited to join a major redevelopment project in Plymouth from 2001 till 2017. Stigma was a major issue to this run down area. I was invited to join SSHS and jumped at the chance to change the stigma culture within society locally and within the wider sectors.

Local authority tenant London

Nigel has extensive knowledge of strategic governance, having served for over ten years, amongst other things, as a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of various social purpose organisations including as a former resident board member of a large social housing landlord in London.  Nigel has also served as Trustee of TAROE Trust, a national tenants’ charity that championed the rights and empowerment of tenants nationally across the regulated housing sector and directly influencing the revised regulatory landscape.

Housing association tenant Yorkshire

A tenant of Yorkshire Housing, Nasir has been involved in the community since 1993.  With his roles encompassing community support, advocacy, representing diversity and inclusion as an EDI Champion, advice work, development and activism, Nasir has helped, supported and represented many diverse ethno-cultural groups – raising awareness of issues affecting them.

Active in various panels, committees and groups with his housing association, Nasir campaigns for tenants’ rights, greater local government accountability and transparency, better landlord engagement, openness, communication and pro-active engagement.

Housing association tenant South East

Sarah is a non paid carer to her two adult daughters and one adult son with disabilities, and she does community work for SEN to support other families.  Sarah has been a Soha Housing resident for 26 years, and since 2021 has been a forum member.  She also joined Soha’s DAAG (Disability Action and Awareness Group) and various other forums/meetings, and became the Chair of the Benson Away Days team in 2024.  Sarah was a school governor over 25 years – the Chair for three Ofsted periods.  For over 15 years, she has also supported Oxford City Casuals Disability Football, supporting parents and players every Sunday at Oxford City Football Ground.

Housing association tenant East Anglia

Keith is a resident of Anchor Housing, a housing provider to approximately 65,000 retirement age tenants, with estates of mixed tenure sited across the country.  His roles as an Involved Resident are Chair of the Scrutiny Panel, and Vice Chair of the Residents’ Council.  He currently works with the Regulator of Social Housing and Anchor’s Audit and Risk Committee to create a process to ensure resident recommendations are implemented.

A lifelong imprint of how bad Social Housing can be, realised during a previous career working in housing as an Environmental Health Officer, and witnessing blatant inequality whilst supporting people with sensory impairment, has provoked a personal need to combat prejudice.

Local authority ALMO tenant North West

Nigel has been a tenant of Cheshire West and Chester Council for over 15 years.  He has served on several committees and panels including Scrutiny, Complaints and Service Excellence.  He is a Board Member of the Council’s Housing Management Board and a Chester Wirral Partnership NHS Trust Governor.

He is very passionate about Stigma in Social Housing.  He feels not much has changed since the 1960’s, apart from some different approaches in some areas.   He wants to change the perception of social housing Stigma.

Housing Association tenant North East

Jim has been involved in community work for many years through local authority Community Councils.  He has been involved in social housing both as a tenant representative in a local authority stock transfer, and as an employee of another local authority negotiating on behalf of the staff during local government reorganisation and stock transfer.  He has participated in tenants groups at local, regional and national level, through which he has been aware of bias and what can only be described as stigmatisation towards tenants.

Housing association tenant Yorkshire & Humberside

Becci has been a resident at Guinness Housing for over 20 years.  She has experience of working in NHS mental health where’s she worked in education and training for 8 years.  She has also worked in social care at the local council and at Sheffield Hallam University. She currently works in the housing sector at HACT.  She is passionate about Human Rights, campaigning against homelessness  and reducing social housing stigma.  Particularly interested in helping get tenants voices heard and supporting people in her local community and across the UK.

Housing association tenant North West

Peter has been an engaged tenant of the North Wests’ Plus Dane Housing Group for 25 years.  Experience as a past Board Member, a founding member of the Scrutiny Panel and now the Customer Assurance Panel only inspires his further commitment to addressing the issues of parity in the tenant / landlord relationship, seeking equality of voice, accountability and responsibility.

Being denigrated as a social tenant because of where you live and how you fund that tenancy is simply wrong. Participation in the SSHS campaign hopefully affords me a forum through which I can help challenge that level of social misconception.

Housing association tenant South West

Joseph lives with his partner of 2 years and her children and has lived in council or social housing for the majority of his life.  He has lived in 5 different housing associations which has allowed him to learn all about housing to a deep level via lived experience and training.  He has completed CIH level 2 and has done other training with TPAS.  In recent years, he helped develop the National Federation of Housing’s Together with Tenants.  He is also Chair of the Voice for Tenants steering group, exploring the potential need for a national tenants voice.

Housing association tenant North East

Growing up in social housing, Pauline faced unique challenges that shaped her perspective.  As a teenage mother, she found stability and hope in her social home, which she transformed into a vibrant, happy place for her family.  Recently they had to be rehoused as her home could not be retro fitted to make it energy efficient. This experience opened her eyes to the stigma that still exists for tenants.  As soon as her landlord recruited for their Customer Voices group, she eagerly joined to ensure tenants’ voices were heard.  She also joined the Housing Ombudsman Resident’s Panel, pushing for positive changes for tenants.  Recently, she was offered an extended role in the housing association, which has provided her with a holistic sector view and the ability to advocate for tenants from within .

Housing association tenant South West