CIH responds to Homelessness Amongst Black and Minoritised Ethnic Communities in the UK by Heriot Watt University 

Earlier today (Monday 21 November), Heriot-Watt University published new research which found that in England, those at  highest risk of homelessness are people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. 

A commitment to equality and diversity is a fundamental part of being a housing professional. At the Chartered Institute of Housing, this is reflected in our code of ethics, code of conduct and our professional standards.  

Gavin Smart, chief executive of CIH said:  

“The figures highlighted in this report are disappointing and once again, highlight how much more work we, across the housing sector must do to tackle systemic racial inequality and discrimination. 

“At CIH, we are fully committed to improving equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in our organisation, throughout our membership and across the housing sector and we know we must do more. There can be no room for complacency. It is vital that as a sector we step up and take action to tackle and end racial oppression in all its forms.” 

At the heart of being a housing professional is serving people, meeting their needs. To do this, housing professionals and members of CIH must understand the individuals and communities we serve. We have recently launched the CIH EDI framework, a free resource that can be used by individuals, landlords and organisations. The framework helps you assess current working practices and cultures, signposting to valuable resources in order to make real change.  

It’s important that everyone across the sector works together to create a fair and inclusive environment where every individual feels confident that they will be free from discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional harm and that their life experiences will be valued.