Nearly half of London’s social housing residents have felt stigmatised because of their housing status, new research finds

Nearly half of social housing residents in London have felt stigmatised because of their housing status, according to research by the G15 group of housing associations.

The research, based on a survey of 3,000 residents, is the first survey of its kind to attempt to reveal the extent to which residents in the capital feel they have been the victim of prejudice or discrimination for living in social housing.

When asked whether they have ever felt stigmatised for living in social housing, 45% of residents said ‘yes’, with 43% answering ‘no’ and 12% not sure.

Researchers also asked residents for the reasons they may be worried to tell somebody they lived in social housing. More than one in three (35%) said they ‘felt embarrassed’ to live in the tenure, with 17% saying they were concerned they would be disadvantaged as a result (for instance, in getting a job) and 17% said they were worried about being judged negatively.

The most common source of stigma was interactions with landlords, cited by 43% of respondents.

Other significant areas included interactions with customer service agents, such as banks and mobile phone companies (24%), and dealings with official authorities, such as the police (24%).

Stigma also extended into professional and personal spheres, with 18% reporting a negative impact on their employment or career opportunities and 14% feeling it affected their dating lives.

The report, Taking the Stigma out of Social Housing: The Residents View, is sponsored by the G15 Residents’ Group which has been set up to help deliver resident-led change within the housing sector, ahead of a launch event in Parliament today.

Fiona Fletcher-Smith, chair of the G15 and chief executive of L&Q, said the findings should be a “wake-up call” to society and policymakers.

“Social housing residents are the beating heart of London—not only as essential workers but as neighbours, carers, young professionals, families, and active members of their communities”, says Fletcher-Smith.

“We must challenge negative stereotypes, confront damaging rhetoric, and ensure that our residents are treated with respect and dignity.”

The report asked residents for ideas on how social landlords can help tackle the problems. Suggestions included promoting social housing positively, ending segregation of residents based on tenure, being stricter on anti-social behaviour and treating residents with respect.

Daisy Armstrong, chair of the G15 Residents’ Group said, “Social housing is a lifeline for so many people, but stigma continues to hold us back. It’s time we focused on the reality: we are proud of our homes, proud of our communities, and proud of the contributions we make to society.”