How the Housing Pledge improves visibility and inclusion for our LGBTQ+ residents

As chief executive of the first housing association in the world to achieve global Standard for Diversity and Inclusion in HR Management, it will come as no surprise that Manningham Housing Association (MHA) is fully supportive of Pride Month 2026. 
 
We were one of the first organisations in the sector to sign the LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge, a commitment to fostering inclusivity and ensuring equality for LGBTQ+ residents within our communities. Developed by HouseProud and delivered by Stonewall Housing, it sets out clear commitments for housing providers to support LGBTQ+ inclusion.  
 
The Pledge was created in response to “No Place Like Home?” which remains the largest research project undertaken to properly understand LGBTQ+ experiences of social housing.  
 
Key findings included around a third of respondents feeling their housing provider's staff were not always responsive to their concerns, or sensitive to the needs of LGBTQ+ people, with a similar number conveying their view that staff were not equipped to deal effectively with harassment.  Only half of those who completed the survey felt a sense of belonging to their neighbourhood, whilst a quarter reported feeling lonely. 
 
By signing up to the Pledge, MHA made a solemn promise to enhance LGBTQ+ visibility, provide dedicated training for our staff, and ensure our LGBTQ+ residents have a voice at the executive and strategic level. 
 
Working closely with Stonewall Housing, it has proven to be a positive and practical step in strengthening our wider equality, diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) work. It has helped MHA move from general commitment to visible and structured action, including the promotion of the Pledge externally through our website, social media and customer communications.  
 
One of the main learning points for us is that visibility matters, but this needs to be supported by meaningful engagement. For example, MHA has liaised with partners such as HouseProud North and promoted Rainbow Roofs, which gives LGBTQ+ tenants a route to connect with specialist support and have their voices heard.  
 
We have also reviewed all relevant policies, including areas such as domestic abuse and hate crime, to ensure LGBTQ+ experiences and risks are properly considered. 
 
MHA has also embedded the Pledge into staff induction training and linked it to our wider EDI Strategy and Action Plan, helping ensure that its recommendations to improve LGBTQ+ resident quality and support become part of how we work rather than a one-off Pride Month campaign. 
 
The challenges we have faced have principally been around engagement and confidence. As a relatively small BME housing association, concentrated in Bradford and Keighley, we do not always have large numbers of residents coming forward. Some residents may not feel comfortable openly identifying as LGBTQ+ or participating in our engagement work in line with the Pledge. This has reinforced the need to offer different routes for involvement, keep engagement safe and optional, and build trust over time. 
 
We know that inclusion is never one-dimensional. Many of our residents live with overlapping identities and experiences, and our role is to ensure that no one feels invisible within our services. The LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge has helped us look again at how we create safe opportunities for people to speak, how we build staff confidence, and how we make sure our policies, communications and engagement approaches reflect the real diversity of the communities we serve. 
 
We look forward to working towards Pledge Pioneer status and continuing in our mission to drive meaningful change.