Equality in Housing

In this episode, we talk to Amy Rich, Communities and Campaigns Officer for the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights. We talk to Amy about their recent report on Ethnicity and Homelessness, and the rates and unique causes of homelessness for Ethnic Minorities in Scotland. She talks about the need for more research and data around this topic, and the need to include people living in these communities in academia. Podcast notes:

• CRER: Ethnicity and Homelessness in Scotland - https://www.crer.org.uk/s/Homelessness-in-Scotland-2023.pdf
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In this episode we speak to Rohini Sharma Joshi. Rohini is an experienced equalities consultant who has been a prominent figure in Scottish Housing for over 30 years, and was awarded an OBE in the 2022 New Years Honours list. We spoke to Rohini about the barriers ethnic minority older people face around housing, and how research, both existing and future, can improve their ability to access and meaningfully engage services.

In this episode we talk to Janice Stevenson. Janice is a Development Officer at LGBT Youth Scotland. LGBT Youth Scotland is a youth work service, providing youth groups for LGBT young people across Scotland. Janice’s work focuses on influencing policy in Scotland for LGBT youth populations.

In this conversation we discuss discrimination in housing for LGBT people, challenges with people not recognising their own rights to housing and issues with gatekeeping in accessing services. We explore research and data in this area, and the conversation raises issues that we know many organisations face, which is a lack of data to help providers deliver appropriate services.

Podcast notes

• Youth Commission on Housing and Homelessness - https://www.lgbtyouth.org.uk/national-programmes/youth-activism/youth-commission-housing-and-homelessness/
• Albert Kennedy Trust - https://www.akt.org.uk/
• LGBT charter - https://www.lgbtyouth.org.uk/the-lgbt-charter/
• UK Centre for Homelessness Impact - https://www.homelessnessimpact.org/post/lgbtq-people-are-more-likely-to-experience-homelessness

In this episode, we speak to Dr Steve Rolfe about the experiences of veterans when accessing housing and veterans’ homelessness and the work Steve has done to create the Veteran’s Homelessness Prevention Pathway. The conversation explores the current debates in veterans’ housing in the UK, and explores some of the challenges that research has highlighted and we talk more about the need for continued research in this space, with a particular focus on the diversity of veterans – a space that for lots of reasons, has been problematic in the context of the military.

Steve is a Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Stirling whose research focus is around housing, particularly exploring access to housing for disadvantaged groups, how people make a home and the way in which policy and practitioners can help people to sustain their tenancies.

Podcast notes

• Steve’s Stirling University profile: https://www.stir.ac.uk/people/257354
• Veteran’s Homelessness Prevention Pathway: https://homelessnetwork.scot/2022/01/25/major-report-on-veterans-homelessness/

In this episode, your hosts Dr Gareth Young and Pedro Cameron discuss the origins of the project, and why it's important for the sector be discussing and researching Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion in housing and homelessness, and why it's essential for the stories of those affected are shared and listened to every step of the way.