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
