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Diversity doesn’t just matter – it delivers
Having a team with diverse experiences strengthens what social landlords can accomplish, says Kush Rawal, reflecting on his family’s own experiences with shared ownership
The heinous murder of George Floyd has not only reignited the Black Lives Matter movement. Vitally, it has also triggered a renewed focus on the importance of diversity within the workforce. No longer is it sufficient to profess to be ‘non-racist’, the growing realisation is of the need to be actively anti-racist.
This shift has a monumental significance for businesses, especially in the housing sector. While many of us have been speaking about this for years, it is crucial now to understand why diversity matters so much to our industry.
“Having solid foundations – literally – has a monumental impact on our children’s life chances, our job prospects, our relationships, and our health and well-being. If you haven’t been in a situation where this has been compromised, it’s easy to overlook the importance of the home”
Housing is notoriously white, male and middle class, regardless of whether it is the private or public sector. This poses a huge problem for our industry, as housing – like education and health – is a basic necessity in having a healthy and sustainable life.
Having solid foundations – literally – has a monumental impact on our children’s life chances, our job prospects, our relationships, and our health and well-being. If you haven’t been in a situation where this has been compromised, it’s easy to overlook the importance of the home.
I have been in housing for 15 years. If at first it seemed an accidental move, I quickly discovered why I was drawn to it – it was because of my own experiences.
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My parents moved here in the 1960s, and like many Indians from an impoverished diaspora in East Africa, they moved in with family. Twenty-one family members to be exact, in a five-bedroom home in south-west London. I was born into that home, and when my brother came along my parents knew that in order to provide the life chances they wanted for us, they needed a home of their own.
At the time, my parents couldn’t buy a home outright, and with a shortage of council homes, the only alternative was shared ownership. And this is what they did. They bought a stake in our family home, and staircased to full ownership as their income rose. Once they had full ownership, they were able to sell up and move into a bigger home. When I married my wife, we were both on modest incomes, and with the London market as it is, we too had to buy a shared ownership property to get onto the ladder and out of my parents’ home.
“This lived experience has shaped my approach to work and has enhanced it. Leading a team of diverse and talented people, I know that they too bring their experiences to bear in their roles”
And thus, we repeated my parents’ story. In both cases (her parents and mine) the need to remain in our existing community and within our friend and family networks were important considerations. Without the support of affordable housing this would not have been possible.
This lived experience has shaped my approach to work and has enhanced it. Leading a team of diverse and talented people, I know that they too bring their experiences to bear in their roles.
Diversity is so important, as our lived experience means we understand first-hand the journey our customers go on. And it enables us to reflect the narrative of, in my case, shared ownership, because I understand the importance of providing new solutions to support staircasing, which is why we offer incremental 1% acquisition, allowing our customers to buy more, manageably. A diverse workforce means the team isn’t just built on brains, but also passion, creativity and innovation, which in housing is necessary if we are to provide the best start for all.
Kush Rawal, director of residential development, Metropolitan Thames Valley
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