Hounslow Council's first Housing Conference was a great success, thanks to Hounslow's tenants.

Tenants, leaseholders, councillors and housing officers came together on Saturday, 31 January for Hounslow’s Housing Conference, a day of open and constructive discussion focused on council housing and the future of local housing services.

The conference placed residents firmly at the heart of the conversation, recognising that those who live in council homes every day are best placed to help shape improvements to services. The event provided a valuable opportunity for residents and the Council to come together, share experiences and work collaboratively on solutions.

Tenants spoke openly about what is working well, where challenges remain and how services can continue to improve. Tenants took part in a series of interactive workshops, giving them the opportunity to outline their priorities, identify areas for improvement and suggest practical ways to strengthen housing services across the borough.

Councillor Sue Sampson, Cabinet Member for Housing Management and Homelessness, said:

“Good housing services are built on trust, accountability and listening. Events like this give residents a real voice in shaping the improvements they want to see. This conference has highlighted the positive outcome of the Council’s first inspection under the Regulator of Social Housing’s new consumer standards, where Hounslow was rated ‘C2’, the second-highest rating. We remain committed to learning, improving and being a good landlord for our tenants.”

A lively Q&A session, which provided the opportunity to put questions directly to a panel of council officers and cabinet members, including Councillor Sampson. The session encouraged open dialogue and transparency, helping to build understanding and trust between residents and the Council.

The conference concluded with a clear message that resident involvement matters. Participants were encouraged to stay involved through tenant-led scrutiny, local resident groups and future engagement events, helping to ensure that housing services in Hounslow continue to improve and meet the needs of residents now and in the future.

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85% of respondents to the post conference survey said they would attend a future conference.

70% of respondents rated the conference 4 or 5 out of 5.

Emerging themes and outcomes from the conference

Workshops and question and answer sessions at the conference gave a space for tenants to be frank with officers about what they like about the services they receive and what needs to improve. A lot of information was shared and some of this is captured in the you asked, our response section on this page. In the weeks since the conference officers have been analysing the outcomes from those discussions and have created a list of themes which will require further work. The outcomes of this work will be reported here, and hopefully tenants will soon see the benefit of these improvements. We will work with the Residents Voice Board who can monitor our progress in these areas.

Priorities

Tenants were also asked to state their priorities for Housing Services. The results clearly showed that their highest priority was the repairs services within their homes. Tenants also had a wildcard option and, although at the bottom of the priority list, they wanted improved communications as their 'other suggestion'. Officers will have regard to these priorities when scheduling work.

Celebrating our Unsung Heroes

A highlight of the day was the presentation of the ‘Unsung Heroes’ awards, celebrating estate residents who go above and beyond to support their communities. The winners were nominated by tenants in recognition of their dedication, hard work and positive impact on housing estates, contributions which can often go uncelebrated.