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Diversity Matters

Housing services need to reflect the diversity of local populations. The information in these pages is intended to help service commissioners and providers understand relevant policy and practice issues. The resources listed below include examples of good practice and tools to assess whether the needs of older people from a diverse range of groups are being met.

The Housing LIN is also proud to host and to be a partner of the The Dunhill Medical Trust funded research project, Amar bari, amar jibon’ (My home, my life): developing living environments for Bangladeshi elders, with The Open University and Bangla Housing Association in East London.

Community-led housing for all: Opportunities and challenges for black and minority ethnic community-led housing

This report considers the benefits of community-led housing to black and minority ethnic communities involved in the sector and explores why they are under-represented in the leadership and management of projects.

Why housing for LGBTQ+ people later in life matters

This blog written by Bob Green OBE, Head of Operations at Tonic Housing, Dr Georgia Bowers, Creative Ageing Expert, Guildford School of Acting and Professor Andrew King Co-Director of the Centre for Research on Ageing and Generations at University of Surrey. Read on to learn about the struggles faced by older LGBTQ+ people in housing and care, and how the Life House Project uses theatre to amplify their voices.

Experiences of poverty in later life: People from minoritised ethnic communities

This briefing by Independent Age explores the challenges of organisations directly supporting older people from different minoritised communities and their experiences of poverty in later life.

Equalities Led Social Housing podcast

This podcast by CaCHE and Housing Options Scotland features a conversation with Francis Burrows, Director of Support and Service Development for Housing Association Orbit, on their work to engage with their tenants, particularly underrepresented groups, and how that work informs their policies and processes.

Making Sense of Home Among Ethnic Minority Older Adults: Experiences of Aging in Place Among the Turkish Community in London

Ageing in place has been a key policy driver in recent decades and this paper aims to provide insight into how the home is negotiated and understood by older Turkish migrants.

Ethnic Minorities and Older People podcast

This podcast by CACHE and Housing Options Scotland is the latest in the series, ’Equality in Housing’. It features a conversation with Rohini Sharma Joshi, an expert in housing equality and older people in Scotland, who discusses the challenges of delivering housing for the most marginalised and underrepresented groups.

Community Engagement for Design

This ground breaking report reveals the design priorities of LGBTQ+ people in Leeds who engaged in a series of workshops and focus groups in 2022

Culturally Appropriate Care

This new guide from Skills for Care was written to help anyone involved in the care and support of individuals to have a clearer understanding of culturally appropriate care and what that may mean to individuals they support.

‘It’s about people, not just Place’: How community organisations support older people in dispersed communities

This report shares findings from Ambition for Ageing's research project that commissioned ten community organisations to deliver activities for dispersed communities over a three-month period to find out more about the kind of support that older people from these communities need to stay connected as they age.

Older People from Ethnic Minorities Housing Needs & Perception Study 2021

This Housing LIN guest blog, by Michelle Anderson-Dore, Head of Housing Management & Partnerships at Kirklees Council, follows the launch of ‘Older People from Ethnic Minorities in Kirklees: Housing Needs and Preferences Study’, new research revealing how preferences in the ageing ethnic minority population affects housing needs in Kirklees.

Older People from Ethnic Minorities in Kirklees: Housing Needs and Preferences Study

Commissioned by Kirklees Council, research conducted by the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN) reveals the housing (and housing related support) needs and preferences of older people from ethnic minorities living in Kirklees.

The Future of LGBTQ+ Living Leeds- Survey Report

Published by Pride of Place Leeds, this report presents the findings of a survey designed by Pride of Place Living to better understand the need for a multi-generational housing scheme able to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ people in Leeds.

What works in tackling social isolation of older people in Bangladeshi communities

This briefing shares learning and recommendations about working effectively and sensitively with small tight-knit ethnic minority communities, and about risks and protection factors for social isolation.

A safe deaf place

This report by Action Deafness looks to determine a way forward with regard to the design and commissioning of housing and care services that are inclusive of the needs of older deaf people and which, thereby promoting their increased wellbeing and longevity.

Housing with Pride

This report by the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence to build on research and effect change in the social housing sector.

Housing, Ageing + Care: What Manchester’s LGBT communities want from the UK’s first purpose-built LGBT extra care scheme

This report by the LGBT Foundation presents findings from their survey asking people about their current finances, their housing situation, their care needs and their thoughts on what an LGBT Extra Care Scheme for Manchester would look like.

Building Safe Choices: Our voices - LGBT+ later life housing demand in London

Tonic, Stonewall Housing and Opening Doors London teamed up to conduct much-needed research to better understand the housing, care and support requirements of older LGBT+ people in London.

Ageing in Place for Minority Ethnic Communities: The importance of social infrastructure

This Ambition for Ageing study, carried out in August 2019, investigates the opportunities for building and maintaining social connections for older South Asians living in Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, and Camden and older people of Greek Cypriot, Turkish and Kurdish heritage living in Hackney

In Focus: Experiences of older age in England

This policy report by charity Independent Age explores the reality of life for older people whose voices can be less often heard in debates about ageing and what is important for people in this age group.

The value of small community-led equalities research projects

This report published by Ambition for Ageing, Manchester highlights key findings about the effectiveness of community-led approaches to research under the 'Ageing Equally?' programme

Count us in

This report, published by Trust, Hanover (Scotland) and Bield Housing Associations details the findings from a series of interviews and focus groups with older ethnic minority people living in Scotland.

Bring Dementia Out: A Programme to address the needs of LGBT people living with dementia (and those supporting them)

Written by Claire Days, the Bring Dementia Out Programme Co-ordinator, the blog looks at the work of the new Bring Dementia Out programme from the LGBT Foundation, supported by the Guinness Partnership and in partnership with National Dementia Action Alliance, Switchboard (Brighton & Hove), National LGB& T Partnership and LGBT Consortium.

Bring Dementia Out

Guinness Partnership is proud to announce the support for a new complain to support LGBT people living with dementia.

RIBA’s Future Place report: Unlocking the Potential of Places

The Future Place programme acts as a catalyst to bring forward new ‘placemaking’ approaches to community engagement as part of a process to refresh the local strategic plans for regeneration and growth, with particular attention to the diversity of local groups.

Elderly & end of life care for Muslims in the UK

This report from the Muslim Council of Britain and the University of Cambridge seeks to bring together in one document many different aspects relating to older people and end of life care, with an emphasis on facts and evidence.

Secure, Accessible, Friendly, Equal (SAFE) Housing: The housing experiences, concerns and preferences of Older LGBT* people

The SAFE study by The Centre for Research on Ageing and Gender and The University of Surrey aims to fill a gap in knowledge about older LGBT* people and their housing needs –building an evidence base that can be used to inform future policy, service practices and research.

Care Under the Rainbow

Online learning materials and films for making care homes more inclusive for older LGBT+ people in England and Wales

Housing and the older ethnic minority population in England

A new briefing from the Housing LIN and the Race Equality Foundation looking at access to housing for older BME people

Written evidence: A submission by the Housing LIN to the Women and Equalities Select Committee Inquiry into Race Equality Audit

This written evidence highlights findings within the Audit which are relevant to older people from BME communities, as well as disabled BME people, and their housing and care needs

LGBT people and Dementia

Stonewall housing outlines some of the additional challenges lesbian, gay, bi sexual and trans-gender communities are likely to face if they develop or care for someone with dementia.

The State of the City for Manchester’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Communities

LGBT Foundation has been grant funded by the Equalities Funding Programme to deliver a three year programme of work which supports the Council to achieve its equality objectives in relation to sexual orientation

BME Elders Housing and Health Promotion Project

This Housing LIN Case Study no 131 focuses on a project which was undertaken and jointly funded and delivered during 2014 and 2016 by a range of Oldham partners - the Council, Housing & Care 21,...

A fresh outlook on wellbeing: delivering person-centred care across the West Midlands

This Housing LIN case study no 128 focuses on the strategic decision by Nehemiah Housing Association, a West Midlands based social landlord. It places a greater emphasis on 'Wellbeing', including the...

Building Safe Choices: Older LGBT housing futures: a feasibility study

This feasibility study into older LGBT housing examines the current provision of housing and related care and support. It finds that, despite good intentions, there are still no specialist schemes and...

Developing an evidence base for housing and related services for older people

This case study report commissioned by Aksa Homes (part of New Charter Housing Association) and the Oldham Housing Investment Partnership, explores the attitudes to the housing, care and support needs...

Building a sense of community: Including older LGBT in the way we develop and deliver housing with care

This Housing LIN viewpoint No 39 sets out a variety of ways in which the voices and needs of the older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) communities can be included in the development and provision...

A Sense of Place: Retirement Decisions among Older Black and Minority Ethnic

A report from the Runnymede Trust about the aspirations of older people from BME communities for life after retirement and when they need care and support. It highlights the way that most care homes...

Report on the Housing and Support Needs of Older Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) People in Sheffield

This report by Sheffield City Council highlight the consultation undertaken by the Housing Independence Service (HIS) to look at the housing and support needs of older Lesbians, Gay and Bisexual (LGB)...

Meeting the needs of minority groups in extra care housing

This Housing LIN Report explores approaches to meeting the needs of the wide range of minority groups within local populations. It describes the issues faced by such minorities, such as older lesbian,...

The housing, care and support needs of South Asian Elders

A summary from the Housing Corporation of a research projects that looks at some of the practical challenges that South Asian elders face in meeting their housing and support needs. A fuller report is...

Developing extra care housing for BME elders

This Housing LIN Report focuses on issues around providing specific extra care housing to BME elders as well as improving access more generally. It also offers a self-assessment checklist for commissioners...

At home - audit tool for housing related services for older BME people

Published by Housing and Older People Development Group, 2006 The 'AT HOME' toolkit has been designed to help ensure that housing and related services take account of the needs of black and minority...

Beyond Sheltered Accommodation - a review of Extra Care housing and care home provision for BME elders

Summary of desk research into current provision of extra care housing and care homes catering for BME elders. Provides examples of services in England and highlights gaps in research and services. Published...

Bridging the gaps - social exclusion of BME elders

Published by hact as part of a series, this insight document focuses on learning from 7 projects funded under hact's Older People's Programme. It summarises outcomes from the projects and the learning...

Housing for Older People from the Chinese Community - Middlesbrough

Housing LIN Case Study No11 - Example of a local community development partnership between a housing association and a Chinese community association.

BME Older People's Joint Service Initiative - Sheffield (October 2005)

Published by Policy Evaluation Group, October 2005 Analysis and Evaluation of Current Strategies - Final Report by the Policy Evaluation Group, Sheffield

Supporting Diversity in Tower Hamlets

Housing LIN Case study No 7 - A description of Sonali Gardens, an Extra Care scheme for Bangladeshi and Asian elders in Tower Hamlets.

Embracing diversity - CD-ROM

This publication is Out of Stock Companion to the Embracing Diversity DVD, with a collection of related material, including the HOPDev report, AT HOME, a toolkit on housing for older people from BME...

Embracing diversity - DVD

This publication is Out of Stock The DVD offers an insight into a selection of current housing with care options that have been developed in England to meet the hidden needs of diverse older populations....