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Martin HilditchMartin Hilditch

We must redouble our efforts to diversify housing

Comment22.03.19by Martin Hilditch

After Housing Diversity Day the whole sector must recommit to improving its record on diversity, writes Martin Hilditch.

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We must redouble our efforts to diversify housing writes @MartinHilditch #ukhousing #InclusiveFutures
"We want to do more to flag up good practice and pass on learning from those that have embedded change" @MartinHilditch writes about diversity and our Inclusive Futures campaign #ukhousing #InclusiveFutures

Inside Housing launched its Inclusive Futures campaign just over a year ago to promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion in the housing sector.

This week’s Housing Diversity Day provided a useful opportunity to reflect and recommit to the campaign and its aims for the future.

When it comes to Inside Housing itself, as promised we have carried out a diversity audit of our own work – and we will do so again this year to track progress and pick up on new issues. The campaign asks the sector to scrutinise its performance and it remains important that we are part of that process.

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We’ve thought about the range of voices in Inside Housing in a variety of ways. For example, Shelter’s housing commission suggested that many tenants feel they have little influence over decision-making. That’s a challenge for the sector and Inside Housing to think about, too.

This week’s interview with Lizzie Spring – formerly of the National Tenant Voice – and Bromford’s Paul Taylor suggests some ways that the relationship between tenants and landlords could rebalance. The government is expected to announce its plans for the future of regulation and, possibly, a new national tenants’ union or voice shortly. But the key takeaway for me from Ms Spring and Mr Taylor’s conversation is that there is much that the sector itself can do to tackle some of the issues raised in Shelter’s report.

As we’ve said previously, the National Housing Federation’s developing Together with Tenants approach appears to be a welcome one – and we’ll follow its progress closely over the coming year to see what change results.

We’ll also be tracking progress with some of the campaign’s other aims – such as how organisations are prioritising diversity and inclusion at the top, the data they are collecting on the diversity of boards and leadership, and looking at recruitment processes.

We want to do more to flag up good practice and pass on learning from those that have embedded change or are developing their thinking.

It’s pleasing to see that this year’s Housing Diversity Day increased its reach and engagement. But, let’s face it, there is a still a considerable distance to travel – the stories, questions and concerns that people shared on the day itself are evidence enough of that.

We launched Inclusive Futures last year with a commitment to change. Our research since has revealed relatively slow progress. It’s time to redouble our efforts.

Martin Hilditch, editor, Inside Housing

Your #HousingDiversityDay tweets

19 March was Housing Diversity Day 2019 and housing sector workers across the country showed their support by tweeting their pictures and videos.

Here is a just a small selection of them:

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