Tackling social housing stigma

What is social housing stigma, and how does it affect customers?
Social housing stigma refers to negative attitudes and stereotypes people hold towards those who live in social housing. An example is that everyone who lives in social housing is on benefits or involved in crime. Social housing stigma can make people feel undervalued and judged unfairly because of the housing they live in.

What are common misunderstandings about social housing?
Common misunderstandings can be that most people in social housing are on benefits, lazy, uneducated or cause anti-social behaviour. In fact, many people who live in social housing are regular people who may work full time jobs and see it as a good option to get onto the property ladder.

How is Home Group working to tackle social housing stigma?
We has recently run a social housing stigma week. This week, we talked about the causes of social housing stigma, how to stop it, and highlighted the positives of living in social housing. We learned about the importance of tackling social housing stigma and setting guidelines to ensure customers are listened to when reporting stigma. Our colleagues are committed to tackling social housing stigma when they come across it.

How can customers in social housing help change attitudes towards social housing?
There are several ways customers in social housing can help change attitudes towards social housing:

• Be a good neighbour and respect others living around you
• Report estate issues as soon as they happen
• Keep properties in good standard
• Report repairs as soon as you can
• Keep gardens and areas around your home tidy