June is Pride month, an annual celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Questioning (LGBTQ+) people. It takes place every June across the world and is an important date in the calendar of anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+, as well as for their friends and family.
It’s an opportunity for us to make sure we have the foundations in place to support our LGBTQ+ tenants and colleagues. That’s why we’ve signed up to the HouseProud Pledge, a scheme designed to make sure LGBTQ+ residents can enjoy their homes without fear of discrimination.
For LGBTQ+ individuals, a home should be a sanctuary where they can freely express their sexual orientation and gender identity without fear. However, despite progress in equality laws, many LGBTQ+ residents still face discrimination. HouseProud’s research shows that 60 per cent of trans respondents do not feel safe in their neighbourhoods and one in five gay men modify their homes to conceal their identity from housing staff. Additionally, a third of respondents believe their housing providers are ineffective in handling harassment.
Our Executive Director of Housing and Care, Les Clarke, is championing our work to meet the commitments of our pledge and becoming a Pledge Pioneer.
What we’re doing
By signing up to the pledge, Homes Plus is committing to:
- Addressing the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ residents.
- Considering the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community when shaping our services.
- Raising awareness of the Pledge Scheme and our support of it.
Les said: “I’m incredibly proud that Homes Plus is a safe space for our LGBTQ+ colleagues, customers, partners and stakeholders. We’re a business that celebrates diversity and strives to create a workforce and service where everyone feels free to be who they are.
“Work is already underway to put these commitments into practice, and I will keep both colleagues and tenants updated on our progress. By taking these steps we aim to achieve Pledge Pioneer status.
“We’d love for more LGBTQ+ tenants to join our involved customer panels. To find out more, email customerinvolvement@housingplusgroup.co.uk or visit our website: Register to get involved – Homes Plus.”
You can read more about the HouseProud Pledge, here.