Homes for Heroes

Joanne Lockwood is joined by Mushtaq Khan to explore what “homes for heroes” should mean in the UK today, in the context of long-running housing shortages and affordability pressures.

They discuss how policy choices over decades—such as prioritising home ownership, the impact of Right to Buy, and inconsistent regulation of the private rented sector—have contributed to insecurity, poor property standards, short tenancies, and rising costs. The conversation also touches on tragedies such as Grenfell and what it revealed about standards, accountability, and inequality.

Mushtaq and Joanne examine how housing conditions shape people’s health and wellbeing, including the links between secure housing, mental health, and outcomes during the pandemic. They also consider how stigma, discrimination, and segregation affect communities, and why tenant voice and community cohesion matter.

Towards the end, Mushtaq shares the focus of Housing Diversity Network’s work, including inclusive leadership and governance, workforce development and mentoring, community-responsive services, and accreditation to help housing organisations improve their equality, diversity and inclusion impact.