New insight published by South Liverpool Homes (SLH) highlights the scale of misinformation around social housing lettings and reinforces the importance of a collective, transparent and empathetic approach across the region.
View SLH’s Campaign Report here.
The report, Let’s Talk Facts – Who Gets Our Homes, brings together customer and colleague insight alongside practical tools to support housing providers in responding to misinformation and building trust within communities.
Across the Liverpool City Region, demand for social housing continues to outstrip supply, with long waiting times and increased visibility around new developments often fuelling frustration and confusion.
By sharing learning, SLH is contributing to a region-wide conversation about how housing providers can:
- Improve understanding of needs-based allocations
- Strengthen community cohesion
- Support fair and inclusive access to housing
- Build confidence in the role of housing associations.
This aligns closely with the Liverpool City Region’s priorities around tackling inequality, supporting inclusive growth and creating stronger communities.
What the research says
Drawing on insight from more than 500 customers and front-line colleagues, the findings highlight significant gaps in understanding:
- 76% of customers said they did not understand, or only vaguely understood, how homes are allocated
- Only 37% believed the process was fair
- Around one-third believed immigration status influenced allocations
- Nearly a quarter believed ethnicity played a role
- Fewer than half of colleagues felt confident explaining the process in difficult conversations
- A key learning from the report is that tackling myths requires more than simply publishing facts.
For housing associations across the Liverpool City Region, the most effective approach is rooted in:
- Empathy – recognising the frustration of long waiting times
- Honesty – being clear about constraints within the system
- Transparency – openly explaining how decisions are made.
SLH found that when residents were given the opportunity to ask questions, particularly when face-to-face, they felt listened to and were more likely to engage constructively, even when outcomes were disappointing.
A practical toolkit for the sector
Alongside the report, SLH has developed a toolkit designed for housing associations, local authorities and partners, offering practical resources that can be adopted across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.
The toolkit includes:
- Myth-busting materials addressing common misconceptions
- FAQs and conversation scripts for front-line teams
- Template responses for social media and stakeholder queries
- Guidance on responding to harmful or discriminatory comments
- Frameworks for community engagement events
- Survey tools to gather ongoing insight.
Anna Bishop, Chief Executive of South Liverpool Homes, emphasised the importance of openness:
Anna Bishop, Chief Executive of South Liverpool Homes, said:
“The learning from this campaign shows that we have to talk more openly, not less. By explaining how decisions are made, acknowledging how difficult the reality can be and setting clear boundaries around unacceptable language, we can build trust, even when the message itself is hard to hear.
We know that this isn’t just a south Liverpool issue; it’s a national one. That’s why we wanted to share our report and toolkit with the wider housing sector, so we can start having more confident and consistent conversations together.”
