Earlier this year, I put a call out on LinkedIn for help connecting with professionals working in housing and domestic abuse. Thank you to everyone who responded, shared, tagged, or introduced. Your support helped make this episode happen—and more will follow.

In this episode of the Housing Sector Podcast, I speak with Sherrelle Collman, a frontline practitioner supporting survivors of domestic abuse through her work in specialist Domestic Violence Units at Caridon.

We explore what happens when someone escapes an abusive home but finds themselves navigating a housing system under immense pressure—where temporary accommodation, long waiting lists, and fragmented services can make recovery even harder. This isn’t about blame. It’s about recognising the reality, and working together to improve outcomes for those in crisis.

Topics include:
– The realities survivors face when seeking housing
– The role of Domestic Violence Units—and what more they could achieve
– How trauma can be compounded by complex housing processes
– What meaningful safeguarding could look like
– Advice for professionals and survivors navigating the system

Sherrelle brings clarity, compassion, and deep professional experience to this conversation. Her insight is rooted in practice—not policy. If you work in housing, safeguarding, or simply want to better understand the pressures facing survivors, this is a conversation worth your time.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
– Clare’s Law (Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme):
https://www.gov.uk/domestic-violence-and-abuse#domestic-violence-disclosure-scheme

– National Domestic Abuse Helpline (24/7):
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
| 0808 2000 247
– Women’s Aid Live Chat:
https://chat.womensaid.org.uk

#HousingSectorPodcast #DomesticAbuse #SurvivorSupport #TraumaInformedCare #Safeguarding #TemporaryAccommodation #HousingCrisis #SocialHousing #SupportedHousing #WomenAndChildren #FrontlineVoices #Caridon #SherrelleCollman #ClaresLaw #WomensAid #SystemicBarriers #Gatekeeping #LivedExperienceMatters #ProfessionalInsight #HousingMatters #HousingForAll #PodcastUK #UKHousing #BenJenkins #HousingSector #RightToSafety #NoMore #HousingAndSupport #ViolenceAgainstWomen #CoordinatedSupport #MultiAgencyWorking #TraumaMatters #HousingAdvocacy #EndDomesticAbuse

What happens when a “luxury” new‑build home becomes a nightmare?

In this episode, I talk to Alexandra Druzhinin—a homeowner who paid nearly £900,000 for what was marketed as her dream flat in Camden. But instead of sanctuary, she found a dangerous reality: a timber‑framed building that’s structurally compromised, unmortgageable, uninsurable—and, in her words, “crumbling beneath us”

Alexandra has uncovered mould, leaks, deep cracks, and rotted joists. A structural engineer has even advised the building be demolished and rebuilt.

Despite paying survey costs and legal fees amounting to over £400,000, neither the freeholder/developer nor the warranty provider or insurer have offered rescue. Alexandra is now heading to court in October, not for speaking out, but simply to secure the insurance she was promised—a basic protection that's now become a high‑stakes legal battle.

There's no safety net. No accountability. Just broken promises.

Her ordeal goes beyond personal tragedy—it's a warning about how new‑build homeowners are being let down systemically.

#HousingCrisis #NewBuildNightmare #TrappedHomeowners #HousingJustice #HealthAndSafety #HousingSector #BuildingSafety #WarrantyFail #StructuralDefects #AlexandraDruzhinin #UKHousing #NoSafetyNet

In this hard-hitting episode, I sit down with Frank Chiverton — a director with over 35 years of experience in surveying, damp and mould consultancy, project planning, and contract management — for a frank and forthright conversation about the state of UK housing.

We discuss the systemic decline in build quality, the disappearance of skilled oversight on site, and how roles once responsible for quality control have been quietly phased out. Frank reflects on the legacy of schemes like Decent Homes, and how millions were spent without solving the root problems — in some cases, making them worse. We also tackle the growing talent gap in construction, the urgent need to train and support the next generation of skilled workers, and the risks posed by unqualified staff signing off work they don’t fully understand.

Our conversation doesn’t stop there. We dive into how big business continues to push substandard products into housing through slick marketing and strategic relationships — rather than genuine quality. Our concern about how the events circuit and industry bodies like the Chartered Institute of Housing have become enablers of this culture, giving platforms to suppliers and ideas that aren’t always in the best interests of residents or the sector as a whole.

This is not a light listen. But it’s an honest one. And in a sector that’s become increasingly disconnected from the reality on the ground, it’s the kind of conversation that needs to be heard.

#HousingSector #SocialHousing #HousingCrisis #HousingRepairs #HousingPolicy #HousingQuality #DecentHomes #Construction #BuildingStandards #HousingOversight #TenantVoice #Residents #HousingSafety #HousingActivism #DampAndMould #FireDoors #Grenfell #HousingPodcast #FrankConversation #BenJenkins

This blog explores the housing sector’s growing disconnect between professionals and the residents they claim to serve. It unpacks the dangerous comfort of echo chambers, the rise of tokenism, and how resident voices — the real experts — are too often excluded, silenced, or co-opted.

It also highlights how a new wave of grassroots campaigners is pushing back — building platforms, breaking bubbles, and refusing to be ignored.

If you're serious about truth, reform, and making housing work for everyone, this one’s for you.

Read the full blog at:
👉 https://www.housingsector.co.uk/echochamber

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👉 https://www.youtube.com/@HousingSectorPodcast

Like, share, and subscribe — and visit https://www.housingsector.co.uk
for more blogs, podcasts, and sector updates.

#HousingSector #EchoChamber #StopSocialHousingStigma #TenantVoice #ResidentLed #HousingActivism #Tokenism #StrategicLawsuits #SharedOwnership #SocialHousing #TenantEngagement #InsideHousing #Grenfell #DampAndMould #TPAS #CIH #NHF #HousingAssociations #ResidentRepresentation #BreakTheBubble

My latest blog looks at the impact of Birmingham City Council’s financial collapse on tenants and leaseholders: unsafe homes, service charges paid but not delivered, and basic safety concerns that remain unanswered.

At the same time, the Regulator of Social Housing now has stronger powers under the 2023 Act — including Ofsted-style inspections and unlimited fines. So why hasn’t it stepped in? Where is the governance rating for Birmingham City Council? Where is the scrutiny and accountability?

If Birmingham City Council cannot keep its own housing stock warm, safe, and dry, how can it credibly enforce those same standards on private landlords? And if the Regulator of Social Housing does not act, then what protection do residents really have?

Right to Reply

A spokesperson for the Regulator of Social Housing said

“We published a regulatory notice for Birmingham City Council in May 2023, which identified a number of issues including health and safety, homes not meeting the Decent Homes Standard, complaints handling and tenants not being treated with fairness and respect. We are continuing to engage with the council as it works to put things right for tenants.

“All social landlords have a responsibility to ensure they meet all the outcomes of our standards. This is vital for making sure tenants have a safe, decent place to live.”

1. Local authorities must meet RSH’s consumer standards. The economic standards do not apply to local authorities. This means that although we will engage intensively with a landlord with serious failures, we have no remit over local authorities’ financial viability or funding decisions.
2. On 1 April 2024 RSH introduced new consumer standards for social housing landlords, designed to drive long-term improvements in the sector. It also began a programme of landlord inspections. The changes are a result of the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 and include stronger powers to hold landlords to account. More information about RSH’s approach is available in its document Reshaping Consumer Regulation.
3. More information about RSH’s responsive engagement, programmed inspections and consumer gradings is also available on its website.
4. Service charges are governed by specific tenancy agreements and leases, as well as common law and statute in this area, including the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, in which the definition of ‘service charge’, as distinct from ‘rent’, is linked to costs incurred (e.g. for cleaning of communal areas, or grounds maintenance).
5. Variable service charges are legally required (by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985) to be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard.
6. RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver more and better social homes. It does this by setting standards and carrying out robust regulation focusing on driving improvement in social landlords, including local authorities, and ensuring that housing associations are well-governed, financially viable and offer value for money. It takes appropriate action if the outcomes of the standards are not being delivered.

#housing #BirminghamCityCouncil #RegulatorOfSocialHousing #councilhousing #ukhousing #socialhousing #housingstandards #servicecharges #tenants #residents #accountability #housing

Retrofitting is one of the biggest challenges in housing today. When it’s done well, it can transform homes, reduce bills, and improve lives. But when it goes wrong, residents can be left with cold homes, higher costs, and serious legal battles.

In this episode, I sit down with Sophie Ait-Tayeb from Anthony Gold Solicitors to talk about what happens when retrofitting works — and what support is available when it doesn’t.

We cover:

The rights residents have if retrofit projects fail
Legal support and how to find it
The difference between good and bad retrofit practice
Where tenants and leaseholders can turn for help

Useful links mentioned in this episode:

Anthony Gold Solicitors (Housing team): https://anthonygold.co.uk/service/housing-and-property-disputes

Legal 500 solicitor rankings: https://www.legal500.com/c/london/real-estate/social-housing-tenant

Chambers and Partners solicitor guide: https://chambers.com/legal-guide/uk-1

Shelter housing advice: https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs
Law Society solicitor search: https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Housing Sector Podcast for more honest conversations about housing.

#housingsector #retrofitting #housing #tenantrights #socialhousing #retrofit #housingcrisis #housingjustice #housingassociation #legalrights #energybills #coldhomes #dampandmould #housingpolicy #tenantsupport #homes #lawyers #solicitors #anthonygold #housingsectorpodcast #benjenkins

In this episode, I’m joined by Mel Little — a Birmingham high-rise resident and health & safety professional — who exposes how fire safety is failing in practice despite being signed off on paper.

We discuss:

• Fire doors failing inspections and redacted fire risk assessments
• Compartmentation failures, lithium-ion battery risks, and stay-put policies
• A council officer accusing Mel of lying when she raised blocked fire access
• Missing Building Safety Act documents and misinterpretation of residents’ rights
• How Birmingham City Council, now bankrupt, claims compliance while avoiding costly works
• Why staff are left stressed, unsupported, and caught between unsafe residents and council failures

Birmingham City Council is responsible for 186 high-rise blocks. Yet inspections are incomplete, enforcement is misdirected, and residents are left in danger. As Mel warns, this isn’t just compliance — it’s compliance theatre.

Eight years after Grenfell, prosecutions are still absent, and the risk remains. If councils cannot afford to make homes safe, who will step in before the next disaster?

#HousingSector #BenJenkins #MelLittle #HousingSectorPodcast #FireSafety #HighRiseHomes #BuildingSafetyAct #BirminghamCityCouncil #TenantVoice #ResidentVoice #TenantSafety #CouncilHousing #SocialHousing #PublicSafety #HousingCrisis #Accountability #HousingAssociations #CladdingCrisis #GrenfellLessons #HousingPolicy #SafeHomes #ComplianceTheatre #ResidentRights #AffordableHousing #BrokenHousingSystem #TenantEngagement #RegulationFailure #LegalAccountability #FireSafetyStandards #BuildingSafety #UKHousingCrisis #ResidentSafety #TenantCampaigns #CommunitySafety #LandlordAccountability #HousingJustice #PublicHousing #HousingActivism #HousingReform #Grenfell

In this episode, I speak with campaigner Deepa Mistry, who has taken an extraordinary step to get her housing provider to listen — launching a public petition.

While many residents raise concerns through complaints, meetings, or social media, Deepa’s experience shows what happens when those routes fail. Residents shouldn’t have to go to such lengths simply to be heard, yet for Deepa, creating a petition has become the only way to spark action and attract wider attention.

Despite repeated attempts to engage, she’s had very little response from her housing association. Deepa is now forced to keep paying for two homes — one that’s unsuitable for her family, and another she cannot sell because the proper fire safety certificates still haven’t been secured. These unresolved issues leave her trapped in an impossible situation, financially and emotionally.

Her message to housing leaders is simple: If you wouldn’t do this to your own family, why do it to others? The branding might call residents “customers,” but true customer service means delivering on promises, communicating clearly, and fixing what’s broken. Instead, the reality inside many housing associations is disjointed — the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, with departments working in silos and no joined-up approach.

This kind of toxic relationship between provider and resident cannot continue. If the service isn’t being delivered to the standard promised, how can an organisation justify carrying on as if nothing’s wrong? Deepa’s story is a reminder that real change starts with listening — and acting — on what residents say.

Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/free-deepa

#HousingSector #HousingSectorPodcast #BenJenkins #ResidentsRights #TenantVoice #HousingAccountability #PetitionForChange #SocialHousing #FireSafety #UnsuitableHousing #HousingJustice #CustomerServiceInHousing #ResidentEngagement #HousingCampaign