What does it mean to truly be ‘resident-led’? In this episode, Chief Executive of Phoenix Community Housing, Denise Fowler, joins us to give us insights into how Phoenix is building a community of residents.
Denise shares with us her inspiring journey and the deeply personal reason that she decided to join the sector. Phoenix Community Housing is a housing association with a difference. The organisation has a stock of around 7600 homes in South London, and its residents are involved in decision-making at every level. We discover the wins that this resident-led approach has brought Phoenix.
We speak about the importance of good housing and how it should be seen as a vital part of the country’s infrastructure. Poor quality housing and lack of suitable housing are something that many still suffer from, and we speak about the inequalities in this area, too.
Phoenix offers more than just housing, it offers a community. From the Phoenix Festival and Chat & Chips events to the hardship fund that Phoenix has put together to help residents through the cost-of-living crisis, we get insights into the thought processes that have gone behind these schemes. Denise also gives insight into how to get valuable feedback from residents and how they’ve used the data they’ve gathered to improve their offerings and prioritise better.
In this episode, we cover:
- How housing policy has shifted over the years.
- How Phoenix Community Housing involves residents in every decision and the benefits this has.
- Inequalities in finding suitable housing.
- The events and support that Phoenix has put in place to improve the lives of the community.
- The effects that poor housing has on our health.
- How to build trust with tenants and get useful feedback.
- RSH’s consultation on consumer standards and how it will affect the industry.