10 March 2026
Summary: Partnership for Young London has launched a new impact report and video showing how young residents are using peer research to help housing providers embed youth voice in decisions that shape services, neighbourhoods and housing futures.
Partnership for Young London has today launched a new impact report and video, produced by a group of young residents from Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH), Clarion Housing Group and Hyde Housing. Building on previous research, the report sets out six recommendations to help housing providers and the wider sector to strengthen youth participation in housing policy and practice. Young Residents in Partnership is a three-year initiative that supports young people aged 16 to 25 to design and carry out research based on lived experience, with the aim of strengthening youth voice and leadership within housing associations and across the wider housing sector.
Young people are often overlooked in housing decision making, particularly because they are rarely lead tenants or leaseholders, meaning that they are not consistently recognised as stakeholders in policy and governance. This project aims to address that gap and ensure young residents’ voices are better represented in decisions that shape housing services, neighbourhoods and futures.
The impact report sets out six priority recommendations for housing providers and the wider sector, focused on making youth participation consistent, practical and properly resourced:
- Define young people as a separate stakeholder in housing policy.
- Create a youth voice representation structure, with clear goals and ambitions.
- Train housing association colleagues to be more inclusive of young people.
- Use housing associations’ influence across the sector to embed youth voice in practice and policy.
- Improve communications with young people through an age-specific communications strategy.
- Work with other organisations to educate young people about their housing options and rights.
Mel Barrett, Chief Executive of MTVH, said:
“Young Residents in Partnership has provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on how young residents shape our work. As a partner, MTVH is committed to strengthening youth representation and ensuring their voices are meaningfully involved in the decisions that affect them. We are proud to be part of a partnership pushing for lasting change.”
Beau Osei, MTVH resident from Nottingham said:
“As a peer researcher, I believe lived experience brings a depth of insight that traditional research alone cannot capture. Being involved with the team allows me to help make sure that my peers voices are accurately represented and pictured. It is empowering to contribute to work that has the potential to influence decisions and create positive change, which will be long term.”
Below: Mel Barrett, Chief Executive of MTVH, meets with peer researcher and MTVH resident Beau Osei
Below: The group of six peer researchers
