Equality, diversity and inclusion this Pride Month | Tenant news

This month, and throughout summer, we’re celebrating diversity with pride. Did you know that disabled people are twice as likely to identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community as non-disabled people? At Habinteg we know that people from both groups can experience prejudice and discrimination and we stand firmly against this.

We want all of our tenants - regardless of their sexuality, gender, age, disability, race or religion - to feel welcome and respected. That’s why we regularly review our practices to ensure everyone is treated fairly.

Promoting fairness

We take practical steps to address unfair treatment and disadvantage. This commitment applies directly to how we manage your housing, including:

• How you access our homes and services
• How we recruit and train our staff
• How we maintain homes and work with contractors
• Who joins our governing body and committees.

Our main goal is to give excellent service to everyone, no matter your age, background, or personal situation. To do this well, we need to understand what our tenants need.

We collect details about tenants’ ethnicity, religion and disability status through surveys and home visits. You don’t have to share this information if you don’t want to, but when you do share it, it helps us give you the right support. For example, we can send you letters in large print or send you a letter in braille.

Equal opportunities

We want all tenants to feel comfortable to join in with community activities - that includes older and younger tenants, disabled people or people who for whom English isn’t a first language and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

"When we focus on inclusion, tenants know their voices are respected and heard," says Frances Clarke, an involved Habinteg tenant. "It ensures everyone has access to the same opportunities, no matter their background."

Habinteg is also proud to be a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader. This means we make sure that disabled people, and people with long-term health conditions, have a fair chance to get jobs and stay in work.

Get involved

We are continuously reviewing how we work to find ways to make improvements and will soon be publishing a fresh Diversity Equality Inclusion and Belonging strategy If you’d like to share your experiences or help improve our housing services, we welcome your feedback.

For more information about EDI at Habinteg, visit www.habinteg.org.uk/equality-and-diversity. And happy Pride everyone.

************

Have you signed up to the tenant portal, My Habinteg, yet? It’s quick and easy, and gives you access to a full breakdown of your service charges.  Sign up now . And, if you'd like to receive the digital version of tenant newsletter Update, instead of the print version, please email comms@habinteg.org.uk and ask to be added to the mailing list.