You Said, We Did: How Tenant Voices are Shaping Real Change at Merthyr Housing
As community-based landlord we value the time and energy tenants give in engaging with us. We have a common goal- to improve their homes and communities and wherever possible promote opportunities for tenants to improve their lives. Tenants have been very vocal on the Associations approach to investing in homes, telling us that some energy improvements are a higher priority than others, and we have listened. Here’s how tenant voices are making a difference so far this year:
Home Improvements Matter
You told us that the condition of kitchens and bathrooms is more important than their age on paper, however at the same time you told us that tenants who look after their homes shouldn’t be disadvantaged because their home is older but well maintained.
You said: A kitchen or bathroom shouldn’t automatically be replaced simply because it had reached a certain age.
We Did:
We agreed that our Asset Management Strategy should take a balanced approach to replacement. To do this we will carry out a home condition survey every five years to help us understand the actual condition of our homes. We will develop an Asset Management Strategy that will allow us to make decisions about when components need to be reviewed or replaced based on both age and condition, rather than age alone.
We will also consider opportunities for replacement on a scheme or estate-wide basis, where this provides better value for money and is more efficient to deliver.
You Said: Tenants would prefer energy-efficiency measures that directly reduce their household bills, such as solar panels.
We Did: We will prioritise installing solar panels in suitable homes where they can deliver the greatest improvement in energy efficiency and the biggest reduction in tenants’ energy bills.
You Said: We understand that space is limited in many Merthyr Housing homes, but tenants would like tall kitchen larder cupboards to be included wherever possible.
We Did: We will include tall larder cupboards in kitchen replacement designs wherever space allows.
You Said: To minimise disruption, tenants would prefer additional kitchen sockets to be installed at the same time as a kitchen replacement or a full electrical upgrade.
We Did: We have included the installation of additional sockets in the planned works for all kitchen replacements and whole home rewires.
During the summer many tenants also told us how frustrating it can be to not now when home improvements are due to take place.
You said: There are certain repairs that matter to us more than others.
We Did: We ran a survey during the summer for tenants to tell us which area of their homes matter the most, the outcome of the survey is informed what data we now give to tenants on their WQHS home compliance certificates.
You Said: We want to know when major repairs are being considered for our homes
We Did: We now provide WHQS compliance certificates for your home at both the point of a new tenancy and following a completed stock condition survey. These certificates provide tenants with the review date for major planned repairs in their home.
Living well is still a priority
During our annual affordability snapshot survey in August 2026, many tenants identified food, energy and clothing as their three main affordability concerns.
You Said: Keeping up with our priority bills sometimes means going without other essentials.
We Did:
- We continue to provide welfare packs, emergency food parcels, food bank vouchers and food hampers to tenants who are experiencing financial hardship.
- We have planned ‘Winter Warmer’ family cooking sessions, giving tenants the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in batch cooking. Ingredients and food-storage containers will also be provided.
- We provide energy vouchers to tenants experiencing fuel poverty and refer them to specialist debt and energy-support organisations, including National Energy Action, Warm Wales and the National Energy Foundation.
- Our summer street-play sessions encouraged children to be active and included healthy snacks, such as fruit kebabs. Each child who took part also received an item of clothing from the Team GB sports kit range.
- We work with local community hubs to support and promote school uniform swap shops.
Cleaner, Tidier Estates
Tenants told us that untidy estates, particularly Where dumped rubbish was left waiting for external contractors to remove it could have a real impact on how people feel about their neighbourhood. You also told us that waiting for rubbish to be cleared was a worry as it could attract vermin and encourage further fly tipping but you also recognised that this comes at a cost and acknowledged that service charges will have to increase to manage the issue.
You Said: we want our estates to be clean, tidy and well maintained and we don’t want to wait for external contractors or the local authority to deal with dumped rubbish.
We Did: We invested in our caretaking service by recruiting two additional members of staff, which means that we have more resources on the ground to help keep our estates clean and tidy alongside managing grass cutting and other essential caretaking work.
Making Engagement Easier and More Accessible.
Tenants told us that the way we ask for your views really matters. Not everyone wants to attend a meeting, and when you do want to meet with us face to face, you want those meetings to be convenient and close to home.
You Said: We prefer online surveys to attending meetings and when we do meet in person, we want meetings to take place in local community venues.
We Did: We have changed the way that we gather your views. Surveys are now sent directly to you via text message with a link to open an online survey making it easier to share your views at a time and place that suits you.
For those who prefer face-to- face engagement, we are also taking our meetings into local communities and using venues chosen by tenants. We hosted ‘monopoly themed, chips & chat’ engagement sessions on our approach to Asset Investment and tenant feedback was that these we well received, so we will repeat the sessions in other communities.
By making engagement accessible and flexible we hope more tenants can have their say in decisions that affect them.
Showing Tenants that Their Voice Matters
You told us that engagement needs to be a two-way conversation, it’s not enough to ask for your views we nee dot show you what we have done with them. You also told us that the time that you give to taking part should be recognised and appreciated.
You Said: Tell us what you have done with our feedback and show us that you value the time that we give to engage.
We Did: We will review our Tenant Engagement Strategy to reflect this crucial feedback from tenants. We have introduced our ‘You Said, We Did’ articles to close the feedback loop and demonstrate how your views have influenced our services and decisions.
We have also introduced local shopping vouchers for tenants who attend our in-person engagement meetings, recognising the time, effort and contribution they make by getting involved.
