The chairs of HQN’s Residents’ Network annual conference 2025, Jane Eyles and Rob Gershon, look forward to next week’s event (and promise not to use the word ‘journey’).

In amongst this month’s latest housing developments – and let’s face it, there are always ‘latest developments’ in housing – the HQN Resident’s Network annual conference on Tuesday 4 November will create a space to focus on the resident voice. You know – that voice that’s been talking for years but somehow keeps getting drowned out by the sound of those ‘in charge’.

The sessions will focus on what recent developments within the sector and regulatory regime mean for residents and whether they’re living up to the promise of the need for change after the tragedy of Grenfell, the decline of the provision of socially rented housing, stigma inside and outside the sector, and a decade of not being heard.

There are more resident-led campaigns and bodies than ever before and the conference will hear from leading residents and officers involved in some of them:

• The Voice for Tenants steering group, Cymru
• Independent Voice for Tenants (the clue’s in the name)
• The Housing Ombudsman’s Residents’ Panel
• The MHCLG’s Social Housing Resident Panel (acronyms included at no extra charge).

We can’t wait for all of this enthusiasm and hope in one conference – it’s like getting some great voices in one room, only without arguing over who brings the biscuits. As member Sonji Nurse from the ombudsman’s Residents’ Panel says: “This is not just lip service!”

Let’s hope that the conference sees the sector sit up and realise that Sonji’s words are right – and not just sit up because the Zoom reminder popped up!

This week has seen Awaab’s Law finally passing into law – offering the potential for real and timely improvements for residents in damp and mouldy homes. We’ve also seen the Renter’s Rights Act become law, with a strengthening of rights for tenants in the private rental sector (and some in social housing too). Unfortunately, it’s also seen some exposed cheating on safety for residents – because, apparently, some people thought ‘safety regulations’ were more like safety suggestions – and there are still concerns over box ticking in resident engagement, which inspection will hopefully spot, assuming the boxes aren’t ticked saying “we definitely engaged residents, honest”.

We need to hear residents strategically and within housing providers, and we need to demonstrate that listening results in actual change – not through nodding enthusiastically and not providing a platform for ceding power.

Bring on the conference (and the mute button for anyone who says “let’s take this offline”).

The Residents’ Network annual conference 2025: Amplifying the tenant voice and shouting about success is being held on Tuesday 4 November from 12 until 3pm and from 6pm until 8pm on Zoom. There are five free tenant places for each booking.

Read more and book your place here.  The Residents’ Network annual conference 2025: Amplifying the tenant voice and shouting about success – HQN