Social Housing Quality and Residents Programme Evaluation: privacy notice
Published 24 September 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-housing-quality-and-residents-programme-evaluation-privacy-notice/social-housing-quality-and-residents-programme-evaluation-privacy-notice
The following is to explain your rights and give you the information you are entitled to under UK data protection legislation.
1. The identity and contact details of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Data Protection Officer
MHCLG is the data controller. The Data Protection Officer can be contacted at dataprotection@communities.gov.uk
2. What personal data we are collecting and why
Your personal data is being collected as part of an evaluation of the Social Housing Quality & Residents Programme. The aim of this evaluation is to assess the implementation, impact and value for money of the programme.
MHCLG want to understand how the reforms have been implemented by social housing providers and public bodies such as the Regulator for Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman Service, as well as understand tenants satisfaction with responses to complaints and repairs and the impact on their health and wellbeing.
The independent research agency Verian will be contacting social housing tenants, social housing providers and wider stakeholders to take part in the evaluation. The following personal data will be collected in the recruitment stage: name, address, email address and telephone number.
When collecting information (via surveys, focus groups, etc.) we will also collect special category data such as your age, ethnicity and health and wellbeing to help us understand which groups have taken part in the research and the impact of the reforms on things like tenant satisfaction, health and wellbeing.
3. Lawful basis for processing the data
The data protection legislation Article 6 (1)(e) sets out when we are lawfully allowed to process your personal data. The lawful basis that applies to this processing is that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.
We will collect special category data on the basis of legislation Article 9 (g), which sets out we are lawfully allowed to process this data for reasons of substantial public interest (with a basis in law).
4. With whom we will be sharing the data
While personal and special category data will be collected, all the findings from this fieldwork will be reported completely anonymously. Datasets including survey responses that are provided to MHCLG will be completely anonymised.
Names and contact details will be used for recruitment purposes only and your details will be handled in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
5. For how long we will keep the personal data, or criteria used to determine the retention period.
Verian (MHCLG’s data processor) will keep your personal data and store them securely. Your personal data will be destroyed 12 months after the project is completed.
6. Your rights, e.g. access, rectification, erasure
The data we are collecting is your personal data, and you have rights that affect what happens to it. You have the right to:
- know that we are using your personal data
- see what data we have about you
- ask to have your data corrected, and to ask how we check the information we hold is accurate
- complain to the ICO (see below)
In some circumstances you may also have the right to withdraw your consent to us having or using your data, to have all data about you deleted, or to object to particularly types of use of your data. We will tell you when these rights apply.
If you would like to exercise your rights please get in touch with the MHCLG DPO at dataprotection@communities.gov.uk.
7. Sending data overseas
As standard, all survey and research data at Verian is hosted in Microsoft Azure within the UK and European Union. All client specific data is stored in restricted access data directories controlled by Access Control Lists.
8. Automated decision making
We will not use your data for any automated decision making.
9. Storage, security and data management
This research is being carried out by Verian on behalf of MHCLG. Verian are our data processors for this evaluation. Processes are in place to ensure the secure transfer, handling, storage, and destruction of the data. If datasets are transferred to MHCLG they will be anonymised. See their privacy notice for more information.
10. Complaints and more information
When we ask you for information, we will keep to the law, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation.
If you are unhappy with the way the Department has acted, you can make a complaint.
If you are not happy with how we are using your personal data, you should first contact dataprotection@communities.gov.uk
If you are still not happy, or for independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing, you can contact:
The Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire,
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745