Season 6
We're back with Season 6 and bringing you 6 brand new episodes covering all the very latest in social housing.
Join host Paula Palmer and her guests from across the sector as new episodes are released bimonthly from October. Subscribe wherever you get your podcast to keep up to date and never miss an episode.
Episode 1: How can social landlords rebuild trust with tenants?
The first episode of season 6 explores the relationship between social landlords and tenants which has come under scrutiny in recent years, with concerns about service quality, communication and tenant engagement.
We explore practical ways to rebuild trust, highlighting best practices from housing providers that are leading the way in customer satisfaction and feedback from a customer.
Host Paula Palmer is joined by David Ripley, Chief Operating Officer, Stonewater; Jo Allen, Head of Member Relations at the National Housing Federation and Joseph De-Ville, member of the Stop Social Housing Stigma Committee and the National Tenants Voice Group
Episode 2: Are new towns the answer to the housing crisis?
Following the latest updates from the New Towns Taskforce, this episode explores whether large-scale developments can realistically address the housing crisis — and what it takes to make them work.
The discussion begins with Lord Richard Best, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on New Towns, who shares insights from his extensive housing career and emphasizes the importance of linking housing with jobs, transport, and green spaces, while also touching on the need for flexible approaches to green belt reform and sustainable design principles.
Maurice Lange, Analyst at the Centre for Cities, adds an economic perspective, highlighting how proximity to cities drives growth and why location is critical for long-term success, and; finally, Matt Crucefix, Stonewater’s Director of Development (South and West), outlines opportunities for housing associations to influence planning early whilst discussing the challenges around planning reform, the need for collaboration between developers and councils, and how design codes can balance sustainability with affordability.
Episode 3: Who is social housing for?
With demand rising and supply shrinking, this episode asks a central question: Who is social housing really for? Our sector experts explore how allocations work, why fairness is so hard to achieve, and how shortages are reshaping both policy and public perception.
Holly Edwards, Stonewater, explains the realities of lettings, the pressures on councils, and the importance of creating sustainable communities. Tim Brown of De Montfort University and HQN, offers a historical and policy perspective, highlighting the ongoing challenge of ensuring fairness for vulnerable applicants and what we might cautiously learn from European systems. Mark Kent, Local Space, shares frontline insight into councils operating in “permanent emergency mode,” rising temporary accommodation use, and the role of intermediate rent while journalist Peter Apps rounds off the discussion by unpacking public misconceptions and arguing for social housing to be seen as a mainstream public service rather than a last‑resort option.
Looking for previous seasons?
Here you'll find seasons 1 to 5 of our award-winning podcast.
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