Social Housing Antisocial Behaviour Crisis

shacaction

6 months ago

Housing Associations Failing Tenants Despite Ombudsman Rulings

By Dean Kennedy

Despite falling national statistics in police-reported anti-social behaviour (ASB), social housing tenants continue to suffer disproportionately, and housing associations are persistently failing to act – even in cases where they are found at fault by the Housing Ombudsman.

Recent government figures show that while police-recorded ASB incidents in England and Wales fell to 891,236 in 2024 (a 7% drop from 2023), reports from tenants in social housing remain significantly higher.

Data from the National Housing Federation and the Centre for Public Data indicate that up to 33% of social housing tenants report being affected by ASB annually, with incidents ranging from noise nuisance, drug use, harassment, to threats of violence – a stark contrast to the national average.

In a troubling pattern, these incidents are often not reported to the police but to housing providers themselves. Yet, investigations and follow-up action are sorely lacking. Research by Nottingham Trent University highlights that tenants in social housing are 30% more likely to witness or experience ASB compared to those in private accommodation.

“We are witnessing a two-tier system of justice” said a representative for tenant advocacy group Voices for Housing Justice. “Private residents may call the police, but social tenants are directed to their housing providers – and those providers often fail to act.”

The Housing Ombudsman has repeatedly found housing associations to be at fault for their handling of ASB complaints, citing failures in investigation, support for victims, and communication.

For example, recent rulings have criticised L&Q for not escalating a tenant’s repeated complaints of drug use and intimidation, and found maladministration by Clarion for refusing to investigate neighbour harassment until evidence was supplied by the tenant themselves. MTVH, Sanctuary, and Places for People have also been sanctioned for failing to meet obligations around victim safeguarding and timely investigation.

This inaction comes despite the billions in government funding allocated to the social housing sector. Over the last 12 months, L&Q alone has received substantial public investment, yet continues to be one of the most complained-about providers, with multiple rulings against it by the Housing Ombudsman in ASB-related cases.

L&Q’s latest tenant satisfaction measures show only 51% of tenants believe their landlord deals with ASB effectively. Clarion reports just 48%, while MTVH and Sanctuary trail with similarly low scores in public-facing accountability.

Places for People has not published ASB-specific tenant satisfaction scores for over 18 months, raising further transparency concerns. These figures expose a sector-wide failure to address a core obligation: providing tenants with a safe, secure home.

Campaigners are calling for urgent reform, including independent oversight of how ASB complaints are handled, mandatory performance reporting, and stricter sanctions for landlords who fail to act.

“Tenants are being left to live in fear while landlords tick boxes and ignore their responsibilities. Enough is enough” said a Buckinghamshire resident whose elderly parents suffered years of neighbour harassment with no meaningful intervention from their housing association.

The government’s ASB Action Plan stresses early intervention and community partnerships, but critics argue it lacks enforcement mechanisms to hold landlords accountable.

Another L&Q Buckinghamshire resident who has been dealing with over 5 years of Anti-Social Behaviour. This has included threats to their life, verbal abuse, intervening during violent altercations, and a multitude of Anti-Social Behaviour. The resident has stated,

“After dealing with the housing association, the Police, social services, and the local council. It is quite clear that the passing of the responsibility is clear. No one takes ownership and would rather support the perpetrators of the issues, than supporting the residents affected.”

With tenant voices growing louder, pressure is mounting on the government to act. Until then, many fear that housing associations will continue to evade responsibility, leaving those in social housing exposed and unheard.

SHAC campaigns to hold landlords to account over anti-social behaviour handling. For more details, please see here.

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