Welcome to the second edition of Tallia Langston's quarterly blog. In this issue, Tallia discusses tenant empowerment.
Tallia is a tenant, Board Member, and Sub-Committee Member here at Saffron Housing Trust.
Tallia has many responsibilities as MRC, and those responsibilities are all about making sure that we listen and learn from every complaint. Says Tallia, “I was honoured and excited when asked to take on this role, because I love complaints! Complaints help organisations learn, improve and put things right.”
Tallia's blog is available in both audio and written formats. Click on the video directly below to listen to Tallia's blog.
MRC Blog
The Member of the Board Responsible for Complaints
Feeling Safe to Make a Complaint
Welcome back to my quarterly blog as Member of the Board Responsible for Complaints! I’m Tallia Langston—a tenant, Board Member, and Sub-Committee Member at Saffron Housing Trust.
Today, I want to dive into a topic that’s close to my heart: tenant empowerment—specifically, feeling safe to make a complaint and confident to speak up when things go wrong. Let’s face it, raising a concern with any organisation can be nerve-wracking. But making a complaint to your landlord? That can feel even harder. Many of us worry about being judged, seen as a nuisance, or facing repercussions. Sound familiar?
As a tenant myself, I’ve been there. I’ve felt both incredibly grateful for my home and hesitant to report issues like leaks or repairs. I used to carry around guilt and shame for simply wanting things to be fixed. Over time, I realised something important: it’s okay to feel grateful for your home and still expect things to be done right. The truth is, stigma surrounding social housing can add an extra layer of hesitation. It’s something many tenants experience, and it’s been a big topic in the media for good reason. Social housing activist Kwajo Tweneboa wrote in his recent book:
“Stigma within social housing can have detrimental effects on the mental health and well-being of tenants. The experience of being stigmatised can lead to feelings of shame, low self-esteem, and social isolation, negatively impacting individuals’ overall quality of life.”
This stigma, combined with a history of complaints being ignored or mishandled, has understandably left many tenants feeling silenced. Tragically, cases like the death of Awaab Ishak—a two-year-old boy who died due to damp and mould in his family’s home, after their complaints went unheard—show us why speaking up is so critical. Awaab’s Law and the Housing Ombudsman’s revised Complaint Handling Code are steps toward ensuring that no tenant is ignored again.
You can read more about the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code here.
https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/landlords-info/complaint-handling-code/
So, what about Saffron?
I’ve been a tenant here for 11 years. Like most tenants, I didn’t choose my landlord; I simply bid for a home when I needed one. Over the years, I’ve submitted my fair share of repairs and complaints. Here’s what I’ve learned: Saffron isn’t perfect—things do go wrong—but they’ve always treated me with respect, listened to my concerns, and worked to put things right. That’s why I feel proud to serve as a Board Member here.
Of course, your experience may differ, and I’d love to hear about it. This blog is all about empowering tenants, and your feedback plays a vital role in shaping how we do things at Saffron.
Have a story to share or a thought to add? Drop me a message—I’d love to hear from you. MRC@SaffronHousing.co.uk
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in my next blog in March!
Tallia
Tallia Langston.