New study launched to explore diversity and inclusion in later life living environments among the UK Bangladeshi elders community

It’s Bangladesh Independence Day (26 March 2022) and in partnership with the Open University and Bangla Housing Association, we celebrate by launching a new study that will focus on the entrenched housing and health inequalities of Bangladeshi elders (‘probin’ in Bangla) in East London.

Amar bari, amar jibon’ (My home, my life): developing living environments for Bangladeshi elders, is a pioneering 36-month long research project, funded by The Dunhill Medical Trust, that will explore diversity and inclusion in later life living environments and communities.

Involving both local Bangladeshi communities and practitioners, this dynamic team will together set out to hear their voice, communicate cultural preferences, and empower the community to have a greater say in local housing plans and strategies.

Jeremy Porteus, CEO of the Housing LIN said:

"We are immensely proud to partner The Open University and Bangla Housing Association in this The Dunhill Medical Trust funded social action research project. It offers a unique opportunity to directly involve and support the older Bangladeshi community in East London to share their lived housing and care experiences and help give them greater voice to have a say on how local strategies and plans can better reflect their needs and aspirations."

This project, the first in-depth research of its kind in the UK, will develop a knowledge base of their experiences and aspirations regarding meaning of place - home, housing, and neighbourhood environments, and implications for wellbeing.