How a simple idea transformed daily life for families at Pen Dinas

A simple, collaborative approach at Pen Dinas is making a real difference to tenants’ day to day lives, while also improving fire safety across the estate.

The work began when colleagues identified a recurring issue during block inspections. Items, particularly children’s bikes and bulky belongings, were being stored in communal areas, creating a risk by blocking shared escape routes.

When teams spoke with tenants, it became clear the issue was not a lack of care, but a lack of space. These conversations shaped the direction of the work, ensuring the response was built around tenants’ lived experience rather than assumptions.

Rather than treating this as a compliance issue alone, colleagues worked together across teams and with tenants to co design a practical solution.

Empty garages on the estate were identified and brought back into use. Six have now been let to tenants in need of additional storage, with a seventh converted into a shared bike store.

Many tenants have taken pride in maintaining and personalising their garages, strengthening their sense of ownership.

This simple change has had a meaningful impact.

One tenant explained, “I’ve got two kids in a two bedroom house, so I had to pay for storage in Cardiff for the last five years. When I got the call about the garage, I was over the moon.”

Alongside making everyday life easier, the changes have also improved safety. Communal areas are now clear, helping to ensure safe escape routes and reduce fire risk across the blocks.

Richard from the Fire Risk Assessment team said, “This approach is better than simply enforcing the rules, because we presented tenants with both the problem and a solution.”

The work has also supported a more joined up way of working across the organisation, bringing together Housing, Fire Risk Assessment, Estates and other teams to respond to what tenants actually need.

Rebecca from the Housing team reflected on the impact, saying it has had “a really positive outcome on this community” and shows how similar approaches could be used more widely.

The approach is now informing how similar opportunities are identified and delivered across other communities.

At its heart, the project shows that listening first leads to better outcomes. By understanding the challenges tenants face and working together to solve them, the team has delivered a solution that improves safety, reduces stress and supports everyday life. It also provides a clear example of how engaging with lived experience can shape safer, healthier homes.