Wokingham has renamed its Tenants’ Charter the Residents’ Charter as part of a push to tackle stigma around social housing and boost equality.
Unlike some councils, Wokingham still owns a lot of council homes and there’s cross‑party support for keeping affordable stock. The number of homes rose from 2560 in 2021/2 to 2627 in 2024/5.
Steve Bowers, chair of the tenant and landlord improvement panel, said the covenant between tenants and council had been renamed from ‘Tenants’ Charter’ to ‘Residents’ Charter’.
The charter’s top aim is tackling stigma about social housing. It also lists four other aspirations: creating effective partnerships, communicating with residents in ways that suit them, accessibility and inclusion for all, and maximising engagement.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen said: “I was born and brought up in a council housing estate. The community there was fantastic. Nobody had very much, but they all helped each other.
“Not having any stigma about housing - people who are born and brought up and live in council housing is really important because everybody is all the same.
To a round of applause, she concluded: “We’ve all got the same weaknesses, we’ve all got the same strengths and there’s nothing different about people brought up in council housing.”
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
