By Lewis Kinch

Two years ago I spoke at the Housing 2023 conference about power dynamics between social housing residents and their landlords. I urged housing associations to, at the very least, start talking about the power imbalance in that relationship. Yet across the sector today, there is still very little discussion on the subject.

Why do we need to, though? Housing associations deliver services, residents use those services. It’s a fairly straightforward transaction.

Except, housing is at the heart of a person’s wellbeing. It affects our health, our happiness and our relationships. Which means that whoever provides our housing holds an incredible amount of power over the outcome of a person’s life. Decisions made in a board room in central London can have a profound impact on an individual hundreds of miles away. An impact that could alter the life chances of future generations, that could create or remove poverty, that could cause or prevent long term illness. A decision, as we have seen too often in the past decade, that can cause death.

If the sector continues to ignore the power that it holds over millions of lives across the country, we are refusing to acknowledge the responsibility we have for the life chances of each of those people.

While the housing sector continues to avoid this conversation, discussions about power are growing elsewhere. This isn’t new territory – Paulo Freire outlined society’s power structures in Pedagogy of the Oppressed nearly 60 years ago. Today, pioneering organisations are increasingly placing power at the heart of their service design. Helen Power at New Local wrote in the MJ about how power sharing can unlock Pride in Place initiatives; Ediane Santana de Lima at Dartington Service Labs writes about power in participation; and slightly closer to home Rowan Mackay has been talking for some years about power in coproduction in his role at Community Led Homes.

It’s not only in operations that we need to understand power – it’s also vital in strategy. Housing associations are often uncomfortably hierarchical and leadership could benefit from actively considering how they hold and use their power. At an event recently, I met the CEO of national charity Turn2Us. But when Tom Lawson introduced himself to me, he simply said “I work for Turn2Us”. Tom’s consciousness of the power that is inherent in his job title is refreshing. He positioned himself as an equal and not my superior, which allowed us to build rapport more effectively.

I’m not asking housing associations to change anything (yet). I’m not asking for power to be redistributed or for decision making to be shared more equitably (although that would be nice). I’m just asking for decision makers to acknowledge and discuss how power affects residents’ relationship with their landlord. Understanding power dynamics will improve landlords ability to truly listen, to act and to build trust with residents. At the very least, perhaps this will help move the dial on those pesky TSM scores. If done properly, it could herald a new era of relationship with the people that rely on us.