The MCB was delighted to be invited to the Housing Diversity Network’s Board Diversity Conference in Leeds, bringing together a wide range of housing associations to discuss a range of topics including better access to housing provision by understanding communities.
We thank Abdul A. Ravat (Head of Development and Relationships, Abbeyfield) for hosting the program, also a member of MCB Re-doc team, for his efforts in equitable housing.
Leading a session for the group, Zara Mohammed (Secretary-General, Muslim Council of Britain), delivered an honest and impactful talk about the imperative for housing organisations to get to know their communities.
Sharing critical insights and reflections, MCB SG visited over 300 Muslim organisations across the country to gain a deeper understanding of what was happening in Muslim communities. What she found was systemic bias and barriers to housing and services, community organisations struggling to fill the gaps in social service provision, and the weathering of needing to constantly challenge stereotypes and Islamophobia (40% of religious hate crimes are targeted at Muslims).
Zara’s challenge to attendees was, “How robust are your systems and processes to deal with the most vulnerable people?” and emphasised that no one was asking for favours – just fairness and an understanding of even the simplest issues that affect different communities.
Further sharing key insights from MCB, leading findings from the census can be found here: https://mcb.org.uk/2021-census-british-muslims-striving-for-fairness-report-launch/