By Bobbie Hough, HQN associate and Managing Director of Hough-Bellis Communications

Have a wander around any of this year’s housing conferences and I promise it won’t take long before you find someone all too keen to tell you that the root causes of the sector’s current ills are linked to poor communication.

We need to get better at communicating with tenants, we need to improve our relationship with government, we need to tell a better story about our role in society.

All very true.

But name me another sector that isn’t wrestling with similar issues. Transport? Education? Justice? The NHS?

There are systemic challenges we face as a country linked to chronic underinvestment, the dismantling of governance structures and governments that have been focused on other agendas.

There are lots of problems. Housing is among them. And thankfully, finally, it feels like we have a government that has placed it somewhere near the top of its priority list.

The quality of our communication will (and must) sit at the heart of creating a better way forward for housing – of shaping and improving services with and for tenants, of ensuring politicians take the decisions and make the laws that will have the biggest impact, and in making sure that access to a safe affordable home remains an integral part of the social contract for generations to come.

It must be part of the sector’s plan to seize the day.

No pressure then.

Of course, good comms only goes so far. It counts for very little without strong leadership, adequate funding, proper tenant representation and sound operational decision-making.

But with what feels like a fresh start for housing, we need to take the opportunity to find our collective and individual voices.

And with that, here are my top priorities for comms professionals working in housing in 2025.

1. Bridging the gap

I’ve long argued that there’s a gap between what housing provides define as communications, and what tenants do. To landlords, it is often the newsletter, website, social media and press. For tenants, it’s the rent letter, the process of booking a repair and the language and behaviours they see from frontline teams in the community.

Yet, how often do comms teams get a say in frontline service delivery, or on whether teams are living organisational values?

The introduction of TSMs and perception-based regulation provides an opportunity to make the case that our best communicators should have more of an influence on more areas of our businesses.

2. Political engagement

From day one, the new government made a big commitment to tackling the housing crisis, with a promise of 1.5 million new homes and a renewed focus on social housing.

Ministers – and increasingly regional mayors who can look forward to more devolved powers – will be looking to the sector for a willing partner in overcoming obstacles that stand in the way of those promises.

There were also 335 new MPs entering the House of Commons after the election in July.

Whether on the government or opposition benches, new Members of Parliament will find their constituency mailbags and surgeries dominated by housing issues – from operational and repairs challenges, to planning applications and local plans.

Those with ambition will also want to show their parties that they have a grasp of the regional and national context in this area – and are working towards a consistent agenda.

3. Tenants at the heart of communications

When tenants have a meaningful say in how landlords operate, they tend to run a lot better.

It can be easy for landlords to get stuck on broadcast mode. We have to make sure that we have channels open and that we are listening.

With all communications, we should consider whether we are here to inform, consult, involve, collaborate with or empower tenants.

This is no longer just good practice, it sits at the centre of new regulation.

4. Internal comms

We love a change project in housing.  As landlords we should constantly be adapting our approach to meet the challenges of the day – and those of the future.

Even at a leadership level, change is hard. So, imagine how it feels for the thousands of staff working in a sector that is constantly pulled from pillar to post for politicians, all while being battered by the media.

It can be hard to keep track of who you work for and what the sector stands for.

That’s why internal comms needs to focus on three core areas:

• Operations – making sure staff can get access to the information they need to do their jobs well (most organisations are good at this);
• Strategic – letting people know how the business is performing and what the plan is (they’re less good at this);
• Cultural – articulating the behaviours we want to see across a business and modelling them from the top down and bottom up (very few businesses prioritise this).

5. Resources and training

That’s all well and good, but we need the right teams with the right skills and resources to deliver.

We talk about comms sitting at the top table within organisations, but we need to make sure we earn those seats and then have the space and the capacity to deliver on the more strategic challenges within our organisations.

Now is the time to review the communications skills in your business and identify the gaps that can be filled with training and additional resources.