Across the UK, communities are experiencing deep inequalities in housing. From asylum seekers and refugees navigating unsafe, unstable conditions, to BAME tenants facing systemic barriers, to older LGBTQ+ people struggling to find inclusive homes — the challenges are urgent, human and real.

This event comes at just the right time. Our politics have never been more polarised. The culture wars have spilled over from social media into communities across the UK, as protests against asylum seekers being housed in hotels turn violent and racist abuse is targeted at anyone that isn’t deemed to be British.

Social housing providers have a key role to play. This event puts lived experiences at the centre. It shines a light on the realities of those too often unheard while equipping housing providers with the tools and insight to drive meaningful change.

Join sector leaders, researchers and community voices for a programme packed with practical insights and honest debate.

In this environment, it’s more important than ever that housing organisations reaffirm their commitment to EDI and continue to support initiatives for tenants, communities and staff.

This is all about people and action that providers can take.

You’ll discover:

• The real-life reality of asylum seekers, refugees and housing
• How systemic racism continues to shape outcomes in UK housing
• What the latest research tells us about race, ethnicity and homelessness
• Ways to amplify the voices of minority communities and build cohesion
• How to plan inclusive housing for older LGBTQ+ residents.

Key sessions include:

• Q&A session on asylum seekers, refugees and housing – the real-life reality
• The impact of the Supreme Court ruling on sex on housing organisations and the communities they serve
• Exploring whether we are serving our BAME communities well enough
• Research on good practice for housing ageing LGBTQ+ communities.

Essential for:

• Chief executives
• Directors of housing or communities
• Directors of operations
• Heads of housing/neighbourhoods
• EDI managers and teams
• Heads of HR, learning and organisational development and their teams
• Heads of governance and their teams
• Heads of customer experience and their teams
• Resident engagement teams
• Community development teams
• Communications managers and their teams
• Head of business improvement/service improvement
• Strategy managers
• Policy managers.

Edith Stokes, EDI Consultant

Edith Stokes (she/her) is the founder of ECS Consulting Ltd, a consultancy dedicated to advancing inclusion and diversity across sectors. With extensive experience in the private, public, mental health, and housing sectors, Edith is a recognised expert in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). She collaborates with esteemed organisations such as Oxford University and respected organisations such as Housing Diversity Network (HDN), delivering tailored training, strategies, and assessments. Passionate about equity, Edith’s work focuses on creating inclusive spaces, particularly for marginalised and racialised communities, empowering organisations to foster meaningful change.

Fuad Mahamed, Chief Executive, ACH

Fuad founded ACH to empower refugees and migrants in the UK to lead self-sufficient, ambitious lives while contributing to society and the economy. He is also dedicated to changing people’s perceptions of refugees and migrants to ensure that human dignity is always put first.

Besides coffee, what gets Fuad up in the morning is working with world-class colleagues, who together are making a real difference in people’s lives.

Working the last 15-years in this sector, Fuad builds relationships and bridges between the community on the ground and policymakers. He has an MSc in Management from Lancaster Business School and went on to become a Clore Social Fellow for Refugee and Migrant communities and a Churchill Fellow.

Fuad regularly contributes to international and local events, speaking on the topic of refugee resettlement and integration, including previously featuring on BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

Professor Stephen Whittall, Professor Emeritus of Equalities Law, Manchester Metropolitan University

Stephen started his academic career teaching Family Lives and Social Policy with the Open University. He joined Manchester Metropolitan University as a lecturer in Law in 1993. He progressed to senior lecturer, then Reader, and in 2006 was made Professor of Equalities Law.

Stephen transitioned from female to male in 1975. He already had a degree in Geography in African and Asian Studies from Sussex University, but after losing numerous jobs because of being transgender, he was working in the property development and building trade when in 1985 he decided to obtain legal training on the part time LLB evening course at Manchester Metropolitan University. He primarily wanted to challenge the discrimination he and other trans people experienced. He went on to obtain a Masters, and a PhD.

In 1992, Stephen was a co-founder of Press for Change (PFC), the UK’s trans rights lobby group. PFC’s very successful campaigns have resulted in several major case law successes at the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights, which have led to significant legal changes since the mid-1990s, including the Gender Recognition Act 2004, and full protection under the Equality Act 2010. Stephen has advised on transgender rights and law to the UK, Scottish, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Hong Kong, and South African governments, as well as the European Union & the Commission, and the Council of Europe. He regularly advises lawyers and writes briefs, or is an expert witness, for courts worldwide. He has authored many academic papers, non-academic articles, several books and writes a regular blog.

Recently he has worked with Dr Sara Davidmann from the University of the Arts London, in creating exhibitions on what it means trans person be trans. In 2013, he advised on, and wrote the historical timeline for Liverpool Museum’s exhibition Portrait of a Lady, the history of transsexual people in the UK told through the story of model, April Ashley.

He has received numerous awards for his work on transgender rights.

Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Professor of Housing and Social Policy, Heriot-Watt University

Suzanne Fitzpatrick is a leading international scholar on homelessness and related forms of extreme disadvantage including poverty, destitution, begging, domestic violence, and complex support needs. She is Poverty Commissioner for Scotland and has chaired expert review panels that have shaped homelessness legislation in England, Scotland and Wales.

Anna Bishop, Chief Executive Officer,  South Liverpool Homes

Anna joined SLH in November 2022 and has over 25 years in the housing sector. Anna was previously Chief Operating Officer at One Manchester, a housing association with 12,000 homes across South and East Manchester, where she was responsible for housing management, repairs, and asset management. Previous to this Anna worked at The Riverside Group where she held a number of senior positions including Director of Customer Services, Interim Director of South Region, as well as leading on neighbourhood regeneration in Liverpool. Prior to this she was Operational Lead for specialist housing association, Pine Court, housing multi-racial communities.

Anna is passionate about reducing inequalities in communities and is looking forward to working with customers, colleagues and Board to ensure the organisation continues to deliver on this in light of the economic and environmental challenges we are facing.

Amy Davies, Head of Independent Living, Great Places

Amy is Head of Independent Living at Great Places Housing Group, overseeing specialist services for people over 55 across the North West.  Great Places are working in partnership with Manchester City Council, LGBT Foundation and the Community Steering Group to codesign and develop the UK’s first purpose built LGBTQ+ affirmative Extra Care scheme in Whalley Range, Manchester.

Amy is a 2024 Churchill Fellow and will be visiting organisations in Madrid, Lyon and Berlin and completing online learning with organisations in Sweden and the USA, to learn about housing and care services for older LGBTQ+ people and bring that learning back to the UK.

10:30am Welcome and introductions

• Edith Stokes, EDI Consultant

10:35am Asylum seekers, refugees and housing – the real-life reality – a Q&A session

• Fuad Mahamed, Chief Executive, ACH– a UK social enterprise providing supported housing, skills training and business support to migrants and refugees

11:00am The Supreme Court judgement on biological sex

• Professor Stephen Whittall, Professor Emeritus of Equalities Law, Manchester Metropolitan University

11:40am Are we serving our BAME communities well enough?

• Edith Stokes, EDI consultant

This session will cover:

• The unequal treatment of BAME residents
• Awaab’s Law and racial inequality in the UK housing sector
• Findings of the TSM report on race
• Systemic racism in housing
• The importance of diverse leadership and tenant engagement
• Practical insights for housing providers.

12:10pm Break

12:30pm Race, ethnicity and homelessness in the UK – what the latest research tells us

• Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Professor of Housing and Social Policy, Heriot-Watt University

1:00pm Amplifying the voice of minority communities

• Anna Bishop, Chief Executive Officer, South Liverpool Homes

This session will cover:

• The importance of understanding and responding to the needs of the community
• Ways to amplify the voice of minority communities
• Community empowerment, building cohesion and challenging stigma and misinformation.

1:30pm Age and LGBTQ+ – the Fellowship project update

• Amy Davies, Head of Independent Living, Great Places

This session will cover:

• A summary of the research project on supported housing provision for older LGBTQ+ people
• The needs of and issues facing older LGBTQ+ people in this country
• The most recent findings on:
  • Models of housing and care
  • The socio-historic context
  • Best practice in delivery and design
  • How we can develop more provision in the UK.
• Practical tips for planning future provision for LGBTQ+ people, their carers and allies.

2:00pm Close

If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected]

Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance.

Cancellations must be made in writing and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.