The case for a national independent tenant voice is now overwhelming, says leading tenant activist Emma Nicholas.
Sadly, we know what happens if we don’t listen to tenants. After the horrendous Grenfell tragedy, we hoped things would change. But the scandals of mould and damp – recently highlighted by the English Housing Ombudsman’s Spotlight report: Repairing Trust) – shows again that things often have to go seriously wrong before the concerns of residents are acted on.
Wales leads the way
A key recommendation of the Ombudsman’s report was:
‘Government should create a national resident representativ
e body to enhance accountability. This body should be placed on statute to protect and advocate for tenant interests’
Wales is ahead on this. I am part of a group of social housing tenants who have been working to make sure that our voices are heard at the highest level. We have called ourselves the National Independent Tenant Voice Cymru (NITVC). Together we are building an open-to-all national body co-designed by and accountable only to tenants. We aim to plug the ‘accountability gap’ and provide a balance to the influence of landlords with Government and others.
We have a long way to go but are already having a positive response from tenants who share our ambitions. We have also had support from a number of progressive landlords including Trivallis, Merthyr Valleys Homes and Hedyn.
To make sure that our initiative is genuinely ‘owned’ and led by tenants, everything we do will be based on the following principles:
- We will be independent and tenant run – ‘for tenants, with tenants’.
- We will look to work co-operatively with landlords and other partners, but only tenants will decide who we are and what we do.
- We will campaign to make sure everybody should have the right to a safe, good quality, affordable home.
- We will fight to make sure that every tenant has the right to be heard by their landlords, government and other organisations with power over their lives.
- We will be open to all tenants and encourage those less well represented to join us across Wales and its many diverse individuals and communities.
We recognise we need to build a credible organisation – we are on a journey and make no claim to represent tenants across Wales although that is our ambition. We know already that there are many other individuals and groups of tenants who share this ambition and we are reaching out to them. We will make sure the door is open to all and that the chance to take part is widely known. We will make sure that this open invite means tenants will have every opportunity to shape NITVC from the outset and as we develop.
Real voices, real change
One of our motivations has been the suggestion – sometimes whispered other times said out loud – that tenants ‘don’t have the ability’ to interact at higher levels.
This is of course nonsense. At one of our first meetings we went around the room to find out what skills and experiences we had. Our group included a youth leader, Communities First co-ordinator, accessible housing activist, people who had set up and run local charities and initiatives including community radio, a former area manager for 64 stores, a customer services professional, someone who has set up an equality and diversity charity, a former business owner as well as people with high level experience with the national Tenants Advisory Panel and Welsh Tenants Federation.
Of course, many of the skills we have are undervalued and can be as relevant – often more so – than formal qualifications and work experience. Members of our group don’t just have the lived experience of tenants, they have incredibly diverse life experiences. This includes people who have been through the care system, been homeless, have to care for children with disabilities or have disabilities of their own. Everyone has something valuable to offer.
We have given some thought to the things we should concentrate on, bearing in mind that this is work in progress and the views of all tenants are welcome. We believe a NITVC needs to be as far as possible unfiltered/unedited. We should aim to provide support to individuals and groups of tenants and lobby and influence those in power. We want to find out and communicate the most important issues for tenants – from rents to repairs, damp and mould to tenant rights and all points in between.
We are very keen to work in partnership with others such as TPAS Cymru, Acorn, Community Housing Cymru, Chartered Institute of Housing and Tai Pawb based on mutual respect. We will be seeking to work with other progressive landlords across Wales.
Next steps
So far, we have held a number of face-to-face and virtual meetings. We meet every month and all tenants are welcome to join us.
We have interacted with the 25-landlord Tai Ar Y Cyd net zero project to make sure that tenants influence the design and build of new net zero housing. We are now represented on the Welsh Government Tenant Participation Group and have had a positive meeting with officials who were very supportive of our initiative and ambitions.
Getting resources to support our volunteers will be a priority. We are very pleased that progressive landlords – Trivallis and Merthyr Valleys Homes – have contributed financially to NITVC, not to influence what we do but because they also believe passionately in an independent national voice. They recognise that the most well-intentioned landlords cannot speak for tenants and that even the best examples of involvement are often dominated by the issues that landlords want to discuss. They also recognise that they have to deal with the consequences of government policies that have not been shaped by tenants and once those decisions have been made it is too late to do anything about it. We have the backing of the Foundational Alliance Wales who are providing free administrative and advisory support.
We are continuing to reach out to tenants – through this article, for example. We are also organising a series of visits to tenant groups. We met with Merthyr Valleys Homes Democratic Body in March and Buzz, the high-level tenant group with new association Hedyn in June,r and have had very positive responses.
We continue to work to build relations with other landlords and national organisations. We will be making sure that we attend conferences and engage with tenants and others interested in what we are trying to achieve.
We intend to influence the major issues currently facing tenants such as the draft Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations Bill. We will be taking a close look at how the housing and tenant rights feature in the manifestos of political parties in the run up to the 2026 Senedd elections.
How can you get involved?
We want to build alliances with any landlords and organisations who want to engage with us. But above all we want to spread the message far and wide to tenants to help us shape a genuinely independent, national organisation that is open to all and free to join. Please come along with us in the early stage of this exciting journey and spread the word to tenants across Wales.
Being able to ‘speak the truth to power’ is an important foundation not just of our work but for society in general. We want to shout out loudly and proudly ‘your voices will only make us stronger!’. With your help we can make sure that never again will the views of tenants be ignored.
Emma Nicholas is the tenant coordinator for NITVC. If you want to find out more or get involved you can contact her at emma.hooks01@outlook.com
Why we support a national voice
‘I love that the group gives people a space to share their worriers and come together to actively make a change , giving some power back’ – Janine Campbell, Wales and West tenant
‘We need a truly independent tenant voice that can represent tenants on a national level’ – Steve Thrupp, Trivallis tenant
‘The creation of a National Independent Tenant Voice will enhance and complete the housing movement, with the voices of the people who live in our homes’ – Michelle Reid, chief executive, Merthyr Valleys Homes
‘I’m involved in NITVC is to bring together housing associations, local authorities and private individuals to address common issues relating to housing in Wales on a national level’ – Aji Gass Jarra, Afrizon Bespoke Services and Hedyn tenant
‘A national voice is important because it would give a voice to those tenants who either can’t or won’t speak for themselves’ – Mel Rayner, Caredig tenant
‘The experts who live and breathe the properties know when something is wrong and it’s important that those voices and concerns are listened too’ – Shells McGuire, Hedyn tenant
‘I got involved with NITVC as I felt the tenant voice is not heard enough and I want to make a difference between tenants and the Welsh Government’ – Jill Wadley, Bron Afon tenant
‘I’m involved in the NITCV, to bring tenant voices to the table and to the heart of the conversation’ – David Egan, Hedyn tenant
‘TPAS performs an important role in the work it does to train tenants and their pulse surveys of tenants views but there is absolutely no substitute for tenants having their own seat at the top table’ – Duncan Forbes, chief executive, Trivallis
‘A national tenant voice is not an optional add on – it’s essential’ – Keith Edwards, Foundational Economy Alliance