Why Social Housing Marketing Needs To Put Residents First

- GUEST POST -

1.34 million households are waiting for social housing in England.

Behind that number are families waiting for stability and a place to call home.

In January I attended the National Housing Federation’s Comms & Influencing in Housing Conference in Westminster. The focus of the day was simple: exploring why the ways we talk about social housing matters.

Emma Slade Edmondson, co-founder of Good Form, spoke on a panel about storytelling and communications. One idea from that conversation really stayed with me. Residents are often visible in housing communications  but not truly heard. You see the quotes. You see the photos. You see the campaign. But residents sometimes feel like the story had already been written before they were invited into it. And it’s not just the residents who can tell the difference, we all can.

The real issue isn’t just housing: it’s trust.

Right now, the housing conversation in the UK is tense.

Good Form co-founder Emma Slade Edmondson speaks at the Comms Influencing in Housing 2026 Conference in Westminster

The UK’s affordability crisis

There’s an affordability crisis. Temporary accommodations. Costs are rising everywhere, from rent and food (Tesco meal deals, we are watching you very closely) to transport (TFL’s midnight charges - a bit rude). I could go on—and I’m sure you’ve already thought of some examples yourself —but what I mean to say is - the people (me included) are tired.

When housing feels unstable, it affects far more than where someone lives. It shapes work, family life, and mental wellbeing. Most of us are familiar with the phrase “Home is where the heart is.” and it reflects the idea that your home is your emotional anchor, yet seven in ten people say housing pressures have made them feel anxious. (Shelter, 2024)

So what’s the big issue here?

So when organisations communicate about housing, people are listening closely. Not just to what is said. But who is included in the story? Where things sometimes go wrong. Housing organisations genuinely want to communicate well, but sometimes the process looks like this:

1. Create the campaign.

2. Decide the message.

3. Add a resident quote at the end.

It may sound like a small thing, but the sequencing matters. When residents only contribute at the end, it can feel like their voices are being used to support a message they never shaped. In multicultural cities like London, where housing inequalities are deeply entrenched, this is especially dangerous. 

Around 17% of people live in social housing overall in the UK, but rates are much higher across many ethnic minority groups, including Black, mixed heritage and some Asian communities, where it can be closer to 1 in 2 (ONS, 2023). Diverse neighbourhoods and social housing estates are too often blamed, stereotyped, or positioned as “diversity visuals” without real influence. Challenging this stigma starts with putting residents first in their own stories and equally in the decisions.

What’s the solution?

A different approach: resident-first storytelling.

At the conference, Emma spoke about something we believe strongly at Good Form: Communication should start with residents: that means bringing people into the conversation early. Listening before crafting messaging. Understanding what people actually experience in their homes, neighbourhoods and communities. When residents help shape the narrative from the start, the message becomes clearer, more honest and more relatable. That is where trust grows. 

But why now? Why does this matter? 

Housing organisations are working in a difficult environment. Budgets are tight. Demand is high. Scrutiny is rising. Simultaneously across London, new glass towers sit half‑empty while people wait years for a stable home. Moments like this make thoughtful communication even more important. Messaging where residents are heard, not added at the end.

Here are our takeaways for developing a social housing marketing campaign that lands:

1. Start with residents voices and stories, rather than circling back to validate your messaging.

2. Collaborating with residents from the start will help ensure cultural competency in your campaign.

3. Remember that the campaign stories that resonate the most always start with real-life experiences.

Good Form on Cultural Consultancy

At Good Form, we help organisations tell stories that start with people. Our cultural consultancy services help organisations understand the communities they serve and build communications that reflect real lived experience.

When residents are part of the story in the solutions you are creating from the beginning, housing stops feeling like a policy debate, and becomes integral to people.