Interim Housing Ombudsman appointed to support tenants

Interim Housing Ombudsman appointed to support tenants
Social housing tenants will be supported by a new Interim Housing Ombudsman, as MHCLG appoints an expert from within the organisation to take up the post.
The government has appointed Andrea Keenoy as the new Interim Housing Ombudsman.
Andrea is currently Chief Operating Officer at the Housing Ombudsman Service and has more than a decade of experience in the organisation, having worked there since 2015.
She has helped to oversee major changes, including expanding the organisation and improving how complaints are handled.
Andrea will lead the service as Interim Housing Ombudsman from 1 August 2026, while the government seeks to appoint a substantive Housing Ombudsman to succeed Richard Blakeway, who steps down on 31 July 2026.
Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government Baroness Taylor said:
Andrea has played a key role in improving the Housing Ombudsman Service and brings a valuable decade of experience as a senior leader helping to shape the organisation.
I’m pleased to appoint her to this role, which will bring much needed continuity and support as we work to make a substantive appointment to the role.
I’d like to thank Richard for his leadership during a period of growing demand and change across the sector.
New Interim Housing Ombudsman Andrea Keenoy said:
Our priority is to ensure continuity and stability for residents, landlords and our colleagues, and to maintain a high standard of service.
Richard Blakeway led the Ombudsman during a period of intense scrutiny on social housing. From leading the conversation around damp and mould to bringing consistency to complaint handling across all landlords, the changes in attitudes and service delivery he has driven have been significant.
I look forward to leading the organisation through this next chapter while we await the appointment of the next Housing Ombudsman.
The Housing Ombudsman is the independent service that investigates complaints from people living in social housing - issues like damp, repairs or poor treatment by landlords - and orders action to put things right.