Stop Social Housing Stigma

In May 2025 we joined the Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign

Social housing stigma can take many forms, for example, drawing conclusions about someone because they live in social housing, or services, contractors and others treating tenants with less respect because they live in a council home. 

By joining the national Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign, we're making a commitment to challenge outdated stereotypes and celebrate the value of social housing and the people who live in it. 

You can show your support and help tackle social housing stigma by:

• Finding out more about the Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign and their work to date on their website
• Joining the campaign’s Facebook group
• Reading other tenants stories about their experiences 

In July, the Tenant Scrutiny Board agreed to work with us to carry out a special project to find out more about social housing stigma in Leeds, so help create our first stigma action plan. This will involve seeking the views of tenants, staff and contractors and looking at good practice from across the country. We’ll be sharing more about this soon. 

Terry from the Tenant Scrutiny Board shares his feelings on the campaign.

“When the campaign first started, many tenants were not aware of what stigma was or how it affected them. Over the past year, I’ve seen growing recognition of the issue, particularly among disabled tenants, older residents, people in work, and those living in flats. Too often, staff can arrive without appointments being arranged, which can create real difficulties for tenants who need time to prepare, manage health conditions, attend appointments, or take medication. As the campaign continues, I believe tenants will have more opportunities to speak up about their experiences and influence how services are delivered. There is still more work to do to tackle stigma, and better training for housing staff would help build understanding and ensure all tenants are treated with the respect they deserve.”

If you'd like to be involved in future discussions about social housing stigma please let us know on 0113 378 3330 or email housinginvolvement@leeds.gov.uk