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New CIH president to focus on improving racial diversity across the sector
The new president of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has unveiled a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of racial diversity within the leadership of the housing sector.
Lara Oyedele announced the plan after she became CIH president following the organisation’s annual general meeting at the end of last week.
Her presidential campaign, called In My Shoes, will run from this month to the end of her stint as president in September 2023.
By drawing on Ms Oyedele’s lived experience as a Black woman in the housing sector, the campaign will challenge the lack of ethnic and racial diversity in landlords’ boardrooms and provide a catalyst for positive change.
During this time, the new CIH president will also fundraise for her chosen presidential charity, Shoe Aid.
Ms Oyedele replaces Jo Richardson, who used her time in the role to explore “housing-led” approaches to homelessness.
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The new CIH president plans to use her platform to talk about the benefits and importance of diversity and become a visible champion that aims to ensure that racial and ethnic diversity are consistently high on the sector’s agenda.
Ms Oyedele will also look to encourage the diverse talent that already exists within the sector and create a number of of new assets, including a library of online resources that highlights research into boardroom diversity and good practice guidance related to diverse recruitment.
In addition, there will be a collection of ideas and opportunities for CIH members to enhance their understanding of how to be an advocate for diversity in leadership teams, alongside a call for members to complete the CIH equality, diversity and inclusion census, which will launch later this year.
This census will provide a snapshot of members’ demographics and provide the CIH with the ability to be truly accountable to members.
Ms Oyedele, who has been a member of the CIH since she was a student in 1995, said she is motivated to inspire change and champion the importance of racial and ethnic diversity in the housing sector, especially in boardrooms.
She said: “We all know more needs to be done in this space, and I want to work with CIH, its members and the wider sector to highlight why it’s important to create a fair and inclusive environment where every individual feels confident not only that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment or any other emotional harm, but also that they and their life experiences will be valued.”
Ms Oyedele said she wants to target younger staff and show them that they can realistically aspire to board level leadership within the housing sector irrespective of their race.
Gavin Smart, chief executive of the CIH, said: “As housing professionals and organisations, we know that by collaborating across the sector, we can learn from each other to inspire, innovate and evolve to make the sector stronger.
“The campaign will enable us to work together to ensure we are an inclusive and equitable sector, representative of all professionals and the tenants and communities we serve.”
