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Social landlords accused of inaction on racial harassment
More must be done to stamp out racial harassment in social housing, former sector leaders have said.
In an open letter to the National Housing Federation (NHF), former housing association chief executives and directors of housing called on the trade body to initiate a “rapid review of the advice, practice and governance of racial harassment in social housing”.
The letter, sent in late December 2020, followed a court case where giant landlord L&Q had been sued for £31,000 by a tenant who was forced to flee their London flat in 2015 after being racially abused by their neighbours. L&Q failed to rehouse the victim and did not evict the perpetrators.
L&Q said at the time that it has personally apologised to the victim and is working to ensure their housing situation is resolved as soon as possible, adding: “There are wider questions that we must ask ourselves and crucial lessons to be learned.”
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The letter, signed by Lord Victor Adebowale, Aman Dalvi, Lord Geoffrey Filkin and Barry Simons, said: “We do not think this is an isolated incident, other black tenants face racial antagonism and harassment and complain about inaction by their social landlords.”
Signatories said that in cases of racial harassment, landlords must:
- Take a victim-based approach and believe the victim, unless there is converse evidence
- Prioritise stopping the harassment, including evicting the perpetrator
- Prioritise rehousing the victim if the harassment cannot be stopped
The letter continued: “We ask why is there still insufficient landlord action against racial harassment in social housing?
“We are calling on the NHF to initiate a rapid review of the advice, practice and governance of racial harassment in social housing to ensure such failings are not repeated. Black lives matter in social housing too.”
Kate Henderson, chief executive of the NHF, said: “The National Housing Federation and housing associations are absolutely committed to tackling discrimination in all its forms. Our sector is driven by its social purpose and we strive to be a beacon of inclusivity and diversity.
“We know that as a sector we can and must do better. Last month we launched our Equality, diversity and inclusion insight report, which provided evidence of the change we need to deliver.
“This, and our new code of governance, emphasise the importance of housing association boards and staff reflecting the diversity of the communities they serve and ensuring the sector is always working to strengthen relationships with residents.”
The NHF confirmed that a meeting between the NHF and the signatories of the letter has now taken place.
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