Tackling bias and stigma
Progress Housing Group is committed to supporting the national tenant-led Stop Social Housing Stigma campaign, working to address and eliminate bias and stigma experienced by social housing tenants.
Why the campaign matters
Despite ongoing efforts, many tenants continue to feel ignored and stigmatised by their landlords, as well as politicians, media and the wider public. The campaign aims to understand and address these issues, inviting the public to participate in a survey on government progress in tackling stigma.
Social housing stigma - what's the progress on tackling it? Survey
The closing date is 1 January 2026.
Our journey and partnerships
Progress Housing Group has supported the Stop Social Housing Stigma group from its inception, acting as one of 12 ‘pioneering travellers’ helping members on their journey to challenge bias and stigma. You can read more about this work here: https://www.progressgroup.org.uk/news-and-events/tackling-stigma/
We supported the group at the Parliamentary launch of this project in May this year.
As a pioneer, we have hosted workshops with colleagues, tenants, and contractors to explore tackling stigma in service delivery and repairs. Insights from these sessions inform the campaign group’s action plan and strengthen our ongoing commitment to ensuring tenants are heard and respected.
Our approach has evolved into a new customer service style called RAMP:
Resolve issues
Adapt our service
Make it easy
Proactive communication
RAMP centres on listening to tenants and empowering them to hold us to account. All colleagues and contractors are trained to remove bias and stigma, ensuring a consistent and respectful service experience.
Our support to the Stop the Social Housing Stigma campaign
Neil Bergin-Faragher, Head of Customer Experience, said: “Progress Housing Group is a friend of Stop Social Housing Stigma and we actively encourage and support tenant involvement in the work.
“Our workshop gave us the opportunity to really look at crucial areas within service delivery and repairs, and consider where possible risks for stigma and discrimination could occur.
“We are focusing on listening to our tenants and working alongside them to better understand their lived experience because tenants are very much at the heart of everything we do.
“A lot of great work has come from our work around tackling stigma and we can see a number of cross cutting themes linked to the Consumer Standards and the Better Social Housing Review.”
Jacqui De-Rose, Chief Executive of Progress Housing Group, said: “As social housing providers, it is our responsibility to challenge stereotypical views, and that's why I think Stop Social Housing Stigma is so important. We need to show the different positive examples around social housing.
“We should be talking about respecting each other and our differences rather than talking about where we live, and who owns what.
“I can see great work is being done by the Stop the Social Housing Stigma group and we should keep celebrating and being proud of what's being achieved.”
Tenant voices
Feedback from tenants reflects a positive experience:
Fiona says: “I don’t feel stigmatised as a tenant at all.”
Michelle says: “It's fantastic the way that Progress listens to their tenants and brings them on board. I've been joining several different panels, and every colleague has shown the utmost respect for myself and everyone around them. There's no stigma with them at all. They show great respect for their tenants.”
Julie says: “At Progress, I don't think we do have stigma from any employees. I think all employees treat us all with courtesy and respect.”
Get Involved
Membership of Stop Social Housing Stigma is free.
The group encourages widespread support to stand against the stigmatisation of social housing tenants. For more information, visit Stop Social Housing Stigma.