ROOF Blog

The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) has set out how it plans to promote equality and good relations for social housing landlords and tenants in England with the launch of its first ever ‘Single equalities scheme’ and supporting action plan. The consultation document includes how the TSA will work with tenants, providers and other stakeholders to ensure that the needs of different tenants across the six diversity groups of ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, age, gender, and religion/belief are identified and taken into account. Everyone with an interest in social housing is invited to comment on the consultation document.

The public strongly supports the government’s plans to ‘decarbonise’ the nation’s housing stock according to research by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Researchers found householders are willing to ‘play their part’ in tackling climate change, and under the Great British Refurb plans, at least 7 million homes by 2020 and every home by 2030 will be offered whole house upgrades with energy efficiency and micro generation technologies. Individuals said they also want help with the up-front costs of decarbonising their homes through loans and grants, and they want fair target to take into account the diversity of the UK housing stock.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has announced it is to play a leading role in promoting good practice and equality on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) issues in the housing sector. During the next 12 months, CIH will be looking at ways in which it can meet the needs of LGBT members and to raise awareness of the housing challenges the estimated 3.6 million people in the UK. CIH has already produced good practice guidance on seven areas of diversity.

Diversity should be at the heart of the development process, and local authorities should look again at the different ways in which people experience buildings and places. New research from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) argues that planning and architecture professionals need to mirror the diversity of the society they serve, while locals authorities should ‘go beyond their public duties’ on race, gender and disability equality and exceed legal requirements.