I hope that 2026 has been treating you well so far, 2025 absolutely flew by, didn’t it?  As we wrapped up the year, our Salford Community Voice group met in December to discuss key updates and share feedback on ForHousing services and community priorities.  

These meetings are all about listening to our concerns, sharing updates, and working together to make our neighbourhoods better places to live. 

Here’s a round-up of what we discussed at the December Community Voice meeting and what’s coming next. 

Janette Ball, Chair of Community Voice and ForHousing Tenant 

We heard an update on ForHousing’s new Neighbourhoods service offer. From January, there are 31 Housing Officers (HOs) in post, with a focus on handling low-level anti-social behaviour and improving how quickly they can address any issues you might have. A full training plan is in place, and changes should be noticeable from January, with everything fully implemented by April. We think this as a positive step towards better support for tenants to help us feel safe and secure inside and outside our homes. 

ForHousing recently received a complaint from a tenant that was investigated by the Housing Ombudsman. The complaint was made after a tenant wasn’t moved out of an unsafe home quickly enough. Following their investigation, they made a severe maladministration ruling against ForHousing. It’s the Ombudsman’s way of saying there was a serious failure in service that had a big impact on a tenant.  

This was difficult to hear, but it showed us there are areas where ForHousing need to do better. 

Our Complaints and Feedback Panel, a group made up of tenants and key colleagues, reviewed the case and agreed there were service failures. While the ruling felt tough, it’s important they take responsibility and learn from it. 

The Art with Heart project has been engaging tenants in conversations about the development taking place at Little Hulton Precinct and how future investment should be used. This creative approach has helped ForHousing listen and learn from people who might not usually get involved, building stronger relationships and gathering fresh ideas for community improvements. Keep an eye out for updates being shared throughout the year. 

We talked about how ForHousing checks how well services are performing and how satisfied we are with them. The team is using data and the feedback they receive from tenants to focus on things that need to get better. For example: 

• Communal areas continue to be a concern. The performance team has been out to visit sites in person to check what needs improving to make shared spaces cleaner and safer. 
• Communication came up as a key reason for dissatisfaction. Sometimes tenants feel unhappy because updates aren’t clear or they don’t know what’s happening with their issue. The team is working on giving clearer, quicker responses. 
• Real‑life checks are being used alongside the data to help spot problems early and prevent issues before they become bigger. 

To find out more about how ForHousing is performing and what that means for you, click here. 

Exciting progress was shared on new developments, including the former Adelphi Lads Club near Peel Park. Getting ForHousing tenants back into work remains a priority, with plans to involve tenants in construction work. The St Matthews site in Eccles was discussed, with most new homes planned as one-bedroom homes to meet high demand locally. The group also addressed myths around housing allocations and confirmed that asylum seekers do not receive priority access to social housing. You can find out more about homes under development here. 

We also discussed how ForHousing are trialling a new social media approach on Facebook to promote more community focused content. This will allow us to see more tenants like ourselves and ForHousing colleagues at the centre of the posts. To keep up to date with what’s happening in your area and important things about your tenancy, follow ForHousing on Facebook by clicking here.

Members were updated on the new core group for Customer and Tenant Reviewers, who help ensure services are reliable for tenants and that they meet our needs. To find out how you can get involved and the roles that are available, click here.

If you’d like to help shape your community, apply for funding, or just find out more, speak to your Community Development Officer.  

Thanks again to everyone who came along and shared their thoughts — your voice really does make a difference.