Social housing sector: Youth engagement

4. Main findings

Whilst this study highlights some examples of positive practice that others can learn from, feedback from housing organisations reveals a series

of main findings that indicate youth engagement in housing and wider community services is an ongoing challenge.

Key themes raised by participants who took part in the online survey and case study interviews include:

• Housing organisations are not always aware of the number of young tenants, aged 16-34 living within their properties.
• Housing organisations do not always record the age demographic of tenants who engage in tenant participation activities.
• Housing organisations who demonstrate higher levels of engagement with young people tend to do so when they work in partnership with wider community services, charities and voluntary organisations – and view this as an important and necessary part of youth engagement.
• Housing organisations do not always understand how young tenants want to engage. Whilst housing organisations offer flexible choices to participate in a broad setting, they do not always offer options specific to the young tenant demographic.
• Housing organisations do not always know or understand young tenant priorities.
• Housing organisations do not always have the resources - both in staff time and funding to focus specifically on youth engagement
• Housing organisations are embracing digital engagement – however, this by itself, does not necessarily increase youth engagement.
• Young tenants do not always understand what tenant participation is, why it is relevant and what its benefits are.
• Young tenants do not always find the topics that tenant participation activities focus on interesting enough or do not receive sufficient incentives to engage or remain engaged.
• Young tenants do not always see the positive change that tenant participation brings to their community quickly enough and can lose interest. Providing timely feedback is important.
• Young tenants may have little or no interest in engaging or communicating with their housing organisation.