Greater Manchester Social Housing Quality Fund: Tenant Research

Sherriff, Graeme; Kelly, Siobhan; Martin, Phil; Pink, Joshua

Abstract

The Social Housing Quality Fund

The University of Salford have conducted social research in order to provide insights on the implementation and impact of the Greater Manchester Social Housing Quality Fund (SHQF). With a particular focus on damp, mould and condensation, this fund provided £15 million grant funding to social housing providers in order to facilitate improvements in housing quality. Culminating in April 2024, the programme covered 16,177 properties across 17 housing providers in Greater Manchester and saw the implementation of 22,155 measures including ventilation systems, mould eradication, smart sensors, replacement of doors and windows, and new bathrooms.
This study

The research comprised an online survey and a set of qualitative semi-structured interviews. The survey was distributed on behalf of the research team by the housing providers to all homes in receipt of support through SHQF. Responses were received from 582 tenants. Taken from this sample, 41 interviews were conducted, recorded, and transcribed. Summary statistics were produced from the online survey responses and are available as charts throughout this report. We also explored statistical relationships in order to understand how experiences of housing quality and the SHQF programme differed across social groups, and people’s prior experiences of damp, mould and condensation. Significant findings are presented throughout the analysis in our findings (chapters 4-9), and a detailed account is provided in Appendix C. The interview transcripts were analysed thematically, and this evidence is presented in the form of quotations.

Prevalence of damp, mould and condensation

Our survey demonstrates that issues with damp, mould and condensation were prevalent in the homes of our survey respondents before SHQF (Chapter 4). To some extent this reflects the nature of the programme, in which housing providers targeted those homes most in need and likely to be vulnerable to these issues. It is unlikely, however, that our sample is atypical, and the extent of damp, mould and condensation therefore demonstrates the need for programmes such as SHQF.

The majority of respondents experienced these issues throughout the year, whilst a minority noticed them in the winter only. Tenants were aware of the possible causes of these issues and tried to address them but often felt that they were limited in what they could do. This related to issues with the design, condition and suitability of their home and well as their own situations and resources: for example, struggling to afford heating or needing to dry clothes indoors in small properties, especially for larger families.

Experiences of damp, mould and condensation

Given these conditions and the prevalence of damp, mould and condensation in particular, respondents shared with us their experiences and coping strategies (Chapter 5). The most common of these involved ventilation, whether using fans or opening windows and some used heating to try to mitigate the issues. Some responded with behavioural changes such as avoiding drying clothes indoors, changing cooking patterns and having shorter showers. Others bought a dehumidifier, or actively cleaned away mould. Levels of satisfaction in the effectiveness of these strategies were fairly low.

Health impacts

These experiences with damp, mould and condensation had direct and indirect impacts upon health and quality of life (Chapter 6). Nearly two thirds (63%) of survey respondents reported that damp, mould and/or condensation affected their health and/or the health of others in the home with vulnerable groups including young children, older adults, and people with long-term health conditions affected.

Approximately one-third of respondents indicated that they had talked to a doctor or other health care professional about this health impact. Interviewees gave examples of impacts upon physical health, particularly for those with asthma, and in some cases health professionals had told them that these conditions were highly likely to be caused or aggravated by damp, mould and condensation. These impacts related not only to the damp, mould and/or condensation itself, but also sometimes to the cleaning products used to address them. Mental health was also affected, not only by the experience of living in poor housing conditions but also the way this impacted upon home and social life: examples included not feeling comfortable to invite family and friends to visit, worrying about smelling of damp, and sleeping in the living room to avoid a damp bedroom.

Communication, advice and support

One of the challenges for tenants related to seeking assistance from their housing providers (Chapter 7). Frustrating experiences often added to the mental health impact of housing quality issues. This is not necessarily a reflection of time-limited programmes such as SHQF, but rather of the ongoing relationships with housing providers. Experiences were clearly mixed: individuals were willing to compliment their housing provider in one area of work and be critical in another.

This wide range of experiences notwithstanding, some of these experiences have created a legacy of confusion and scepticism and this affects the willingness of individuals to engage constructively with their housing provider, which in turn affects the delivery of programmes such as SHQF (Chapter 8). Responses suggest that tenants did not have a good understanding of SHQF, its purpose, or the value of particular interventions. It was sometimes the case that communications about the programme became entangled with ongoing issues with their housing provider. The interviews suggest that contractors played an important role in keeping tenants informed about the programme and their respective measures.

Impacts on homes and tenants

The evidence on the impact of SHQF on homes is somewhat mixed (Chapter 9). Around half of the sample reported their home to be ‘about the same’ after SHQF in relation temperature, feeling damp, how much they spend on energy, and how often they do anything to try to reduce damp, mould and/or condensation.

Digging a little deeper indicated variance between measures. Compared to those in receipt of other interventions, those who received work on the fabric of the building were more likely to say their home was now warmer and less damp; those who received improvements to their heating system were more likely to say their home was warmer; and those who had mould removal were more likely to say their home was less damp. It was also the case the people who had first noticed their issues around four years ago, or more, were more likely to report the home being warmer after SHQF, potentially reflecting the length of time they had had to become accustomed to colder conditions.
There is an indication that measures led to positive change in health (Chapter 9), with 60% of respondents stating their health had improved and 62% of those who used an asthma inhaler reported using it less often after the measures. Some interviewees reported transformative impacts with reduced occurrence of symptoms, less need for medicines, and improved mood. . However, these impacts varied, and the longer damp, mould and/or condensation issues had been experienced in the home, the less likely that positive health outcomes were reported.

In considering these impacts, it is important to be aware of timescales. The SHQF programme was completed over a relatively short period, and the research was conducted soon after interventions were completed and before tenants experienced another winter. It is therefore important to continue to monitor tenant experience, to ascertain both the extent to which improvements we identified endure and whether any issues with damp, mould and condensation have been resolved in the long term, or return and persist.

Citation

Sherriff, G., Kelly, S., Martin, P., & Pink, J. (2024). Greater Manchester Social Housing Quality Fund: Tenant Research. Greater Manchester Combined Authority

• Report Type: Research Report
• Online Publication Date: Nov 22, 2024
• Publication Date: Nov 22, 2024
• Deposit Date: Nov 19, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 25, 2024
• ISBN: 978-1-912337-84-2