What tends to get far less attention is what prolonged disruption does to people.
Living in a building undergoing remediation, safety works, or major repairs is not just inconvenient. For many residents it becomes a constant background pressure. Noise. Uncertainty. Repeated changes to timelines. Loss of privacy. A sense that home no longer feels like a place of rest. Over time, that pressure can quietly turn into anxiety, exhaustion, and emotional strain.
This is the mental health impact of disruption, and it rarely features in official project plans.
For residents, disruption often means living with uncertainty for months or years. Questions linger without clear answers. Will the work finish on time? Will access be needed again? Will costs rise? Will daily life ever feel normal again? Even when communication is well intentioned, inconsistency or gaps can compound stress rather than relieve it.
For families, the strain multiplies. Children’s routines are disrupted. Working from home becomes difficult. Sleep is affected. Relationships are tested. The home, which should provide stability, instead becomes a source of tension.
Yet mental health is often treated as a side issue. Something to address only once complaints escalate or cooperation breaks down.
In reality, emotional wellbeing sits at the heart of how people cope with disruption. When residents feel overwhelmed or ignored, engagement drops. Access becomes harder. Frustration turns into conflict. Projects slow down, not because people are obstructive by nature, but because prolonged stress erodes trust and capacity.
This week on Property Matters, that human side of disruption is very much front and centre.
The discussion will be chaired by Gareth Wax, joined by Hamish McLay, alongside Melisa White, founder of KindStay.
Melisa’s work focuses on supporting resident stability and wellbeing during periods of housing instability and disruption. Her approach starts from a simple premise. Housing disruption is not just a technical or logistical challenge. It is a psychological one. Anxiety, loss of control, and emotional fatigue are predictable responses, not failures on the part of residents.
Rather than stepping in once things reach breaking point, the focus is on early support. Clear communication. Predictable routines. Practical tools that help people feel steadier and more informed while disruption is ongoing. It is about maintaining dignity and calm, even when circumstances are far from ideal.
This way of thinking highlights a long-standing gap in the system. Building safety and remediation programmes often plan meticulously for physical works, yet leave the emotional impact largely unaddressed. The result is a disconnect between how projects are designed and how they are actually lived through.
Acknowledging mental health does not weaken delivery. If anything, it strengthens it. Residents who feel supported are more likely to stay engaged, cooperate with access requirements, and trust the process, even when it is difficult.
The conversation is shifting, slowly, towards recognising that people are not obstacles to be managed around. They are central to whether disruption can be navigated constructively.
As the sector continues to deal with building safety works, remediation, decanting, and long-term disruption, it would be interesting to see whether mental wellbeing becomes part of the standard conversation, rather than something mentioned only after things have gone wrong.
This week’s discussion aims to shine a light on that overlooked space, where housing, disruption, and mental health intersect, and why paying attention to it earlier may change outcomes for everyone involved.
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