Social landlords must explicitly oppose racism and anti-migrant hostility

Public debate about immigration in the UK has become increasingly polarised. While most people reject overt racism, hostility towards these communities is more visible, more normalised and, at times, more dangerous than it has been for years. There have been well publicised incidents of violence against asylum seekers in temporary accommodation and attacks on places of worship, reflecting a wider climate in which fear and resentment are deliberately fuelled.

For social housing providers, this is not an abstract cultural debate. It has direct consequences for resident safety, community cohesion and our ability to deliver our core purpose. At a time when boards are under pressure to improve standards, meet regulatory expectations and build new homes, it is reasonable to ask why this should be a priority. The answer is simple. Racism and anti-migrant sentiment will make it harder, and even impossible, for us to do our jobs.

Social landlords exist to provide safe, secure homes that enable people to live full lives, work, study, raise families and contribute to their communities. That mission cannot be delivered selectively. When hostility towards migrants and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicities , goes unchallenged it undermines resident safety, fuels harassment and antisocial behaviour, and makes neighbourhood management significantly more difficult.

Frontline housing staff see this first-hand. Periods of heightened racial tension place additional strain on already stretched services, damage trust and make it harder to resolve disputes. Silence from landlords in that context is not neutral. It creates uncertainty about what behaviour will be challenged and who will be protected.

Innisfree Housing Association was founded to provide decent, affordable homes for Irish people who faced severe disadvantage in the housing market. Alongside other community-based housing associations, we helped create the conditions in which migrant communities could settle, integrate and contribute fully to British life. Although the proportion of Irish residents is falling, we are proud of our Irish roots and our founding aim to support migrant communities, in the certain knowledge that this makes London and the UK greater.

Many housing associations rightly emphasise equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). But in the current climate, EDI commitments need to be accompanied by explicit opposition to racism and anti-migrant hostility. Otherwise, we risk sounding abstract at precisely the moment when clarity is essential. Social landlords are trusted local institutions and need to be explicit about where they stand in defence of these communities and anyone targeted because of who they are.

At Innisfree, we have discussed this openly as a board. We recognised that racism and anti-migrant sentiment pose a strategic risk to resident safety, staff confidence and our ability to deliver our purpose. We agreed that remaining silent would be interpreted as indifference. We have communicated our position to residents and reinforced it with staff, so colleagues dealing with tension or abuse know they will be supported.

Social housing has always been about more than bricks and mortar. It is about creating the conditions in which people can live safely, belong and contribute. Allowing racism and hostility towards migrants to go unchallenged corrodes those foundations. For boards and senior leaders, this is not an optional extra or a branding exercise. In the current climate, clarity is not the risk. Silence is.