The Royal Borough of Greenwich has become the first organisation in the UK to achieve Pledge Plus status, the highest level of accreditation under the LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge.
Awarded by Stonewall Housing and HouseProud, the accreditation recognises the council’s commitment as a social landlord to creating inclusive and safe environments for LGBTQ+ residents.
Cllr Jackie Smith, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Greenwich Build and Estate Regeneration, said:
We are delighted to have achieved Pledge Plus status and are particularly proud to be leading the way as the first organisation in the country to receive this accreditation.
As one of the UK's largest social landlords, we know it is vital that every resident feels heard, respected and represented. This recognition reflects our commitment to working alongside LGBTQ+ residents to ensure their voices are reflected in how we shape housing services and communities.
The accreditation builds on the council’s achievement of Pledge Pioneer status in 2024. Since then, members of the council’s LGBTQ+ resident group, HouseProud Greenwich, which has continued to grow its membership over the past year, have worked alongside council officers on a variety of consultation, awareness raising, service improvements and community projects. Some of which include:
a resident-created short film for LGBTQ+ History Month
a resident presentation at the Borough Wide Housing Panel, which reached a wide cross-section of tenants and leaseholders
feedback on the council’s YourView sign-up form to improve the council’s tenant and leaseholder engagement platform.
consultation on the hate crime project, leading to the introduction of a designated reporting inbox.
Most recently, an e-learning training module for council staff was co-produced by the working group and Stonewall Housing, delivering a three-part webinar. The training introduced council staff to the LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge, barriers and solutions identified by the working group and highlighted how to make resident engagement more inclusive.
Resident involvement and co-production were highlighted as key strengths during the assessment process. The assessment panel also recognised the council’s work as an example of good practice and expressed an interest in sharing some of the council’s work within their community of practice and other signatories of the Pledge.
The council will continue to work with residents and partners to build on this achievement and ensure LGBTQ+ residents feel represented, respected and supported within their communities.
