Inside Housing - The conversation about improving homes is still missing a critical piece
Wednesday 11th of February 2026
The conversation about improving homes is still missing a critical piece
We must make tenants partners in the delivery of decent, affordable, energy-efficient homes, writes Jenny Osbourne, Chief Executive of Tpas
For years, the social housing sector has been calling for certainty. Certainty over funding, over standards, over expectations.
That certainty has often felt just out of reach, leaving landlords, tenants and communities trying to plan for the long term while navigating short-term fixes.
Now, at last, we are seeing something different. There is greater clarity on funding for new and existing homes. There is renewed ambition around quality and energy performance. We have firmer direction from regulation and legislation. These are all welcome and necessary steps if we are serious about improving the homes people live in.
But there is still a critical piece missing from the picture: the role of tenants in delivering this change.
Homes do not improve simply through capital programmes and compliance frameworks. They improve when the people who live in them help shape what is done, how it is done and how success is measured.
When tenants have a meaningful say, investment delivers lasting benefits. When they don’t, it doesn’t take long for well-intentioned programmes to unravel.
We have been here before. Large-scale regeneration schemes and the drive to meet the original Decent Homes Standard achieved real progress. Many homes were modernised, and many communities saw significant physical improvements.
“Technical standards and funding streams alone do not create decent homes. They don’t deliver lasting regeneration. These are created through relationships, communication and shared decision-making”
But in too many places, tenants were not genuinely involved in decisions that affected their homes, neighbourhoods and daily lives. As a result, trust was eroded, disruption was poorly managed and, in some cases, the outcomes failed to reflect what people actually needed.
The lesson is simple: technical standards and funding streams alone do not create decent homes. They don’t deliver lasting regeneration. These are created through relationships, communication and shared decision-making.
Today’s policy landscape offers huge potential. Commitments to build and upgrade social housing, a refreshed Decent Homes Standard, a long-term approach to funding and stronger expectations around energy efficiency could transform quality of life for millions of people.
Warmer homes, lower bills and better living conditions are not abstract goals. They shape people’s health, finances and sense of dignity. That is why it is so important we get this right.
As proposals move from policy to practice, tenants must be central to how they are delivered.
The Decent Homes Standard and stronger energy performance requirements, including the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, respond directly to what tenants have been saying for years about cold, damp and poorly insulated homes. We strongly support these priorities.
However, tenants must be involved in defining what “decent” means in practice in their communities, in monitoring progress and in shaping how results are reported. Decent homes should never become a box-ticking exercise focused on passing inspections rather than improving everyday living conditions.
More funding for new and current homes is welcome. Aligning historic rents more closely with formula levels may help unlock investment.
But for the people paying those rents, this is not an abstract financial mechanism – it affects daily and weekly budgets, household choices and financial security. Any changes must be transparent, fair and clearly explained, with strong safeguards for those on the lowest incomes.
“Tenants’ lived experience of cold homes, high energy costs and the realities of daily life must shape how works are planned and delivered. That means involving people early, scheduling around their needs and being honest about both the benefits and the disruption”
Genuine engagement is essential so tenants understand how rent levels link to investment in their homes and what protections exist.
Programmes to improve insulation, heating systems and overall energy performance are crucial in tackling fuel poverty and reducing bills. Yet retrofit work can be disruptive and stressful. Tenants’ lived experience of cold homes, high energy costs and the realities of daily life must shape how works are planned and delivered.
That means involving people early, scheduling around their needs and being honest about both the benefits and the disruption. As we move forward, we must be clear about what tenant engagement is – and what it is not.
Tenant engagement is about involving people in meaningful structures where they can influence decisions. It is about being transparent on performance, plans and challenges so tenants can help steer strategic direction. It is about giving residents a voice in shaping how investment is prioritised in their communities and how works are delivered in their homes.
It is not asking people to choose between their new front door being red or blue long after big decisions have already been made.
As the government brings together new structures such as the Social Housing Taskforce, tenant representation must be formal and influential, not symbolic. Policy works best when it is shaped in collaboration with the people it affects.
The social housing sector finally has much of the clarity it has long asked for. Now we need equal clarity that tenants are not an afterthought, but partners in delivery.
If we get that right, we will not only improve homes, we will strengthen trust, resilience and communities for the long term.
Jenny Osbourne, Chief Executive, Tpas
You can read the full article here