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Lara Oyedele is president of the Chartered Institute of Housing
Your CIH needs you – be an ally and complete the EDI census
Lara Oyedele explains why a census of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) membership is crucial to improving equality, diversity and inclusion in the housing sector
Last year when I became CIH president, I made improving equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) – especially anti-racism – across the profession my absolute priority.
Almost everyone I have spoken to over the past nine months shares my ambition to ensure that our sector represents the tenants and communities we all serve.
Now the CIH is taking steps to put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of its culture and ensure that it is a more thoughtful and progressive employer.
But we need you to help if we are going to create lasting change across the sector.
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At the heart of my campaign is understanding who our members are. Embarrassingly, while we have around 18,000 members, we know so little about you.
We know your age, we know your gender, but often that is it. We don’t know your race or religion, we don’t know if you have a disability, we don’t know your sexual orientation or socio-economic status.
“CIH is taking steps to put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of its culture and ensure that it is a more thoughtful and progressive employer”
You may ask why does it matter? What difference does it make? But if we don’t know how representative the sector is (or isn’t), then we cannot address the gaps, nor build the structure that helps tackle under-representation.
That’s why last year, just as I took over as president of CIH, we launched the EDI census and asked you, our members, to tell us a bit more about yourselves. And while hundreds of you have responded, we want more.
In fact, we need more – and this is my ask of you.
Coinciding with June’s Pride month and Windrush Day, we are asking you to double down on your commitment to your profession and equality, diversity and inclusion. It really couldn’t be simpler.
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If you are a CIH member, then please complete the EDI census. It will take two minutes and will make the world of difference so we can be the professional body you need.
- If you already have completed the census, I’d like to say a big thank you. But please ask your colleagues to do the same and let the world know you have completed the census. Download and display our badge:
- If you want to complete the census but are not a CIH member, then please do join us. Become a CIH member today and help make us more dynamic, more informed and more relevant to every housing professional in the UK.
To sweeten the deal, every housing professional that completes the census by midnight on 30 June 2023 will be entered into a prize draw for £250 (either in a voucher of your choosing or a charity donation of your choice). This includes everyone that has completed it so far and everyone else up to the end of the month.
I know how busy the day job can be and our ever-increasing to-do list means the urgent crowds out the important. But I really want you to take this month to help improve your professional body – your CIH – by completing the census so that we can ensure the next generation of members and housing professionals are even more representative of tenants and communities.
Lara Oyedele, president, Chartered Institute of Housing
