When I was first slapped with a so-called contact management plan—what it really was, was a communication ban—I was shocked. GreenSquareAccord stopped me from emailing staff, blocked me from sharing updates with leadership, and told me that copying in multiple people “muddied the waters.” It was the beginning of an institutional gag order.

And it came from a housing association that prides itself on “listening to the voice of the tenant.” Apparently, that only applies if your voice says things they want to hear.

At first, I thought it was just GSA’s internal tactic. But I soon realised it was part of something much bigger. What started as one housing association’s censorship revealed a culture that runs deeper—into the very institutions that claim to regulate and reform the sector. I’m talking about the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).