HouseProud and Stonewall Housing are excited to announce a new partnership designed to maintain the LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Scheme as a free initiative, making it easy for housing providers of any size to improve the wellbeing of their LGBTQ+ residents.
The commitment is simple. One year after sign-up, housing providers must ensure LGBTQ+ residents have input at the executive/strategic level, increase LGBTQ+ visibility, and initiate staff training to improve understanding of LGBTQ+ lives, with demonstrable training delivered to frontline staff. After those requirements have been met, we invite housing providers to set their own goals around LGBTQ+ inclusion, in collaboration with their residents.
Housing providers that join the HouseProud Pledge are demonstrating leadership and a genuine commitment to their social housing residents. This initiative not only impacts residents but also positively influences staff, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment.
The Pledge was developed by HouseProud, who initially led the scheme on a voluntary basis. As of 2023, Stonewall Housing became the delivery partner for the Pledge. With just one day a week of dedicated resource, the number of housing providers signed up to the Pledge more than doubled in the past year, growing from 21 to 44 organisations.
Currently, the housing providers that have committed to the HouseProud Pledge represent a total of 1,844,332 residents supported across 909,394 households, which includes representation in Wales and Scotland.
To ensure that the scheme can grow from strength to strength and continue to impact the lives of LGBTQ+ residents, we have launched a sponsorship partnership. By sponsoring this initiative, these nine organisations are leading LGBTQ+ inclusion across the entire housing sector in the UK:
– Broadlands Housing Association
– Clarion Housing Group
– Havebury Housing Partnership
– Hyde Homes
– L&Q
– Moat Homes
– Orwell Housing Association
– Places for People
– Sovereign Network Group
Their collective commitment demonstrates a unified effort to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.
The funds will support a full-time, five-day-a-week position dedicated to administering the Pledge, engaging with housing providers, and supporting organisations in meeting their commitments to LGBTQ+ residents.
Thanks to the generosity of these sponsors, the Pledge scheme remains free for housing providers to join. HouseProud and Stonewall Housing warmly invite all housing providers to sign up to the scheme and make a lasting impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ residents.
To ensure the scheme’s sustainability and scalability, we’re seeking three more sponsors to join us in this new partnership. If you’re interested in getting involved, please visit https://www.houseproud-lgbt.com/pledge or contact houseproudpledge@stonewallhousing.org.