Standing firm in power and pride: reflecting on BME National’s past, present and future

Black History Month is a time for both remembrance and resolve. It is an opportunity to honour the generations who built, organised, and led movements for change and to recommit to the unfinished work before us. In housing, that work is clear: close the gaps in safety, quality, access, and opportunity that still disproportionately affect Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. This year’s Black History Month theme ‘Standing firm in power and pride’ means pairing history’s lessons with today’s urgency and tomorrow’s ambition.

Our past is one of collective action. BME-led housing associations emerged to meet needs the mainstream overlooked. They created culturally specific services, built trust, and proved that emphasising resident voice can shape better outcomes. That legacy guides BME National’s mission: to unify our sector’s BME associations into a single voice, to share what works, and to advocate for policies that deliver healthy, safe, and affordable homes for every community.

In the present, we must focus on practical, measurable change to tackle the challenges faced by the sector. We must make equity routine, using data on allocations, repairs, complaints, and satisfaction to reveal disparities early and fix them quickly. We must co-design services with residents from the outset and take urgent action on safety and quality so that every home is healthy, and every complaint is handled with empathy. Power, for us, is service. Pride is the confidence that comes from knowing who we are and what we can achieve together.

We also champion diversity and inclusion across boards, leadership pipelines, and frontline roles. We promote transparent recruitment, sponsorship for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic talent, psychologically safe workplaces, and culturally responsive services that treat every resident with dignity. Through partnerships with other housing organisations, the private sector and employment and skills bodies we encourage social mobility, linking skills to real jobs across our organisations and supply chains.

Knowledge sharing is one of our greatest strengths. With more than 45 member associations, BME National members swap evidence-based practice on issues including damp and mould, energy efficiency, procurement and customer service. As a network, we take swift action to replicate what works and leave behind what doesn’t.

Looking ahead, as the newly appointed Chair, I am aiming to take our impact to the next level through three commitments:

1. Sharper accountability: publish sector-ready tools that help boards embed equity into governance and performance. These tools will each include clear metrics, transparent reporting, and time-bound improvement plans.
2. Bolder coalitions: deepen collaboration with the National Housing Federation, the Chartered Institute of Housing, the government, and regulators to campaign for progressive standards on safety, affordability, equality, diversity and inclusion and resident voice. We want to turn frontline insight into policy change by being a critical friend who continuously seeks solutions to sector wider challenges.
3. Bigger ladders of opportunity: scale programmes that boost employment and enterprise for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic residents, and grow leadership pathways so our organisations reflect the communities we serve at every level.

Black History Month reminds us that progress has always been hard-won by people who stood firm when it was difficult to do so. This year, we honour that legacy not only with words but with measurable action: safer homes, fairer services, stronger careers, and louder resident voices. Together, rooted in history, active in the present, and ambitious for the future, BME National will continue to stand firm in power and pride, until equity is not a promise but a practice in every home and every neighbourhood we serve.