Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has been awarded LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Pioneer status, recognising its ongoing commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ residents are heard, respected and supported in their homes and communities.
The accreditation, which is valid until 2028, follows a detailed evidence-gathering and assessment process examining how MHA – which manages more than 1,400 homes for over 6,000 residents in Bradford and Keighley – is turning its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion into practical action. Delivered by Stonewall Housing in partnership with HouseProud, the LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge helps social housing providers to improve the experiences of LGBTQ+ residents. To achieve Pledge Pioneer status, housing providers must demonstrate delivery against three core commitments: involving LGBTQ+ residents in decision-making, increasing LGBTQ+ visibility and providing relevant staff training.
MHA’s submission drew together evidence from across the organisation, reflecting how inclusion is increasingly embedded within its strategies, policies, staff development, community engagement and wider partnership work. Rather than regarding the Pledge as a stand-alone initiative, MHA has sought to connect these efforts with its broader approach to creating safe, welcoming and inclusive services and communities.
The assessment panel describing MHA’s submission as “rounded, thoughtfully considered and strong across several areas,” while taking account of its size, geographical location and community context. It also highlighted MHA’s consideration of intersectionality and the ways in which different experiences of inequality can overlap and influence residents’ experiences. The panel encouraged MHA to continue developing this work, such as through creating more opportunities for LGBTQ+ residents from minority communities to have their voices heard. The assessment recognised MHA’s determination to create resident-facing opportunities in partnership with organisations such as HouseProud North, as well as its wider support for LGBTQ+ charities and regional equality, diversity and inclusion activity. The panel noted the specialised LGBTQ+ training delivered to MHA staff, including work to better understand the experiences of young LGBTQ+ people in their homes.
Lee Bloomfield, Manningham Housing Association Chief Executive, said: “We are incredibly proud to have achieved LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Pioneer status. “For us, this is more than achieving an accreditation, it is about assuring our LGBTQ+ residents that that they should feel safe, secure and supported as part of the MHA family. “The accreditation also demonstrates that we taking practical action, listening to our residents, and delivering high-quality services in communities where everyone can be themselves.”
