Published date:
Creating communities where everyone belongs
We are very proud to announce that we have achieved LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Pioneer status, recognising our commitment to creating inclusive homes and communities where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents feel safe, respected, supported and able to be themselves.
The award is an important milestone in our equality, diversity and inclusion journey and celebrates the progress we’ve made together with residents and colleagues. It recognises our work to increase LGBT+ visibility, strengthen resident involvement and ensure LGBTQ+ voices help shape the services and communities we provide.
The LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge, developed by HouseProud and delivered by Stonewall Housing supports social housing providers to create more inclusive services and communities. Pledge Pioneer is the first level of accreditation and recognises organisations that demonstrate a clear commitment to involving LGBT+ residents in their work.
A key reason we achieved the award was our commitment to work alongside residents. Our LGBT+ Network brings together residents and colleagues, creating opportunities to share experiences, influence priorities and engage directly with senior leaders. The network is sponsored by JRHT Managing Director Chris Simpson, helping ensure LGBT+ voices are heard across the organisation.
Residents have also played an important role in helping us celebrate and champion inclusion in our communities. This included contributing to planning our presence at York Pride 2026 through the York Pride Planning Group, helping to shape activities and engagement opportunities for the day.
The assessment also recognised our ongoing support for York Pride, community communications, social media activity and practical initiatives that promote inclusion such as pronoun sharing, inclusive name badges and email signatures.
Chris Simpson, JRHT Managing Director, said: "Achieving LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Pioneer status is an important recognition of the work taking place across JRHT to ensure LGBTQ+ residents feel heard, valued and supported. This achievement reflects the contribution of residents and colleagues who have worked together to help shape a more inclusive organisation and stronger communities.
"We're proud of the progress we've made and grateful to everyone who has contributed to this achievement. We remain committed to listening to LGBTQ+ residents, learning from their experiences and continuing to take practical action that helps everyone feel they belong."
This award reflects the contribution of residents and colleagues who have worked together to create positive change. Through the LGBT+ Network and other engagement opportunities, residents have helped shape priorities, influence decision-making and ensure inclusion remains an important part of how we work.
While we are proud to have achieved Pledge Pioneer status, we know there is more to do. We will continue working alongside residents, colleagues and partners to build on this success and create communities where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to thrive.
Get involved
We want more residents to help shape the future of our services, projects and communities.
You can share your views, take part in engagement opportunities and help influence decisions through our Residents Community Portal and other resident involvement activities.
To find out more and register your interest, visit our Get Involved page or contact the Resident Involvement Team at yourvoice@jrht.org.uk.
Find out more: www.jrht.org.uk/about-us/get-involved