Turning commitment into action: A quarterly update on our EDI journey

In our last update, we shared our operational roadmap and invited you to join us on our journey towards a more inclusive and equitable housing sector. As we look back on the second quarter of the year (April to June), we're proud of the progress we've made, the insights we've gathered and the important conversations we've facilitated.

Here's a snapshot of what we've achieved together over these three months.

A record-breaking census response

To build a truly inclusive sector, we first need to understand who we are. This spring, we launched our member census, which included a series of EDI questions. The response has been incredible.

We made one final push before we began analysing the data from July. By the end of June, we had received almost 800 responses, putting us on track for around 1,600 completions. That's a significant increase on last year's total of fewer than 1,300.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the census. The information provided is invaluable in helping us tailor our support, understand our membership and measure meaningful progress.

Amplifying diverse voices through webinars and podcasts

Throughout April, May and June, we hosted a range of webinars and discussions focused on community, culture and representation.

These included:

• Bridging cultures and building communities (April), which explored how we can better navigate and support diverse cultural landscapes
• Building community cohesion (May), a practical session sharing approaches and strategies for creating a stronger sense of belonging within housing developments
• Diversifying the workplace podcast (June), where we explored workplace diversity and highlighted the experiences, contributions and impact of women across the housing sector.

These conversations continue to play an important role in sharing learning and encouraging greater understanding across our profession.

"All in on EDI" – launching our campaign series

We're delighted that our Equality in Housing campaign is now officially underway. So far, ten founding signatories have publicly committed to championing fairer, more inclusive workplaces across the sector.

To support the campaign, we launched the new All in on EDI series through CIH Unlocked. Throughout June, we showcased the work of two organisations that are helping drive positive change:

• Tonic Housing (4 June), exploring the UK's first LGBT+ retirement community
• Stonewall Housing (18 June), highlighting its specialist housing support for LGBT+ people experiencing homelessness or living in unsafe environments.

Over the coming year, we'll be inviting all campaign signatories to share examples of good practice so that we can learn from one another and continue driving progress across the sector.

Advocacy, rights and standing in solidarity

Housing rights are human rights, and during the quarter we continued to use our voice to advocate for fairness, inclusion and equal access to housing.

In June, CIH issued a statement condemning the racist violence and unrest in Northern Ireland, reaffirming our commitment to safety, inclusion and housing rights for everyone.

We also responded to Reform UK's proposals relating to social housing, reminding policymakers that access to social housing is already governed by clear legal frameworks based on citizenship and eligibility, not place of birth. We made it clear that removing housing security from lawful residents risks increasing homelessness and undermining community stability. The housing crisis is fundamentally driven by a shortage of homes, not by nationality.

We remain committed to maintaining the Housing Rights website as a vital resource for housing professionals supporting non-UK nationals.

We're looking forward to hosting a joint webinar with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and Frameworks on 15 September, focusing on how we can have constructive conversations about homes and immigration.

Looking ahead

Thank you to our members, partners and the EDI Board for your continued energy, support and commitment over the last quarter. We're encouraged by the progress we've made together and know there's still more to do.

We're moving in the right direction, and we look forward to sharing further updates with you in the autumn.