Fairness not Favours

We had our Housing Diversity Network Board Conference in April, and invited Zara Mohammed from the Muslim Council of Britain to talk about how the housing sector should seek to understand the changing communities that it works in.

One the main things that Zara said was that the Muslim community, when it comes to public services, was after ‘fairness’ and not ‘favours’. It’s a line that the Conference audience appreciated and this in at a time when the sector-led Better Social Housing Review stated that those from minority backgrounds disproportionality suffered from poor housing conditions and inadequate housing services.

In housing as it is for other public services one thing is clear: Islamophobia has given rise to inequalities. Even when the law provides protections, Muslims are often denied housing by systems and prejudices that entrench and reinforce social inequality and prevent them from living equal and fulfilling lives.

There is strong evidence strong evidence of discrimination in the housing market highlighted by our colleagues over at Generation Rent. Muslims are rejected more often than non-Muslims when applying to rent a property. Landlords and estate agents might be prejudiced, anxious that Muslims pose a security threat or are unsuitable tenants because of cultural misconceptions.

Islamophobia also intersects with other forms of oppression; both racial profiling and immigration profiling, for example, disproportionately affect Muslims of South Asian or Middle Eastern backgrounds. We also know that institutional discrimination against individuals who are visibly identifiable as Muslim through certain attire or names serves as another driver of discrimination in housing. Moreover, the process of residential segregation compounds the housing issues for Muslims as economic inequalities and a scarcity of housing options crowd many Muslims into impoverished neighbourhoods with poor public services and few sustainable economic opportunities.

There isn’t just one solution to addressing Islamophobia. I think that strengthening anti-discrimination legislation and enforcement mechanisms is crucial to hold accountable those who engage in discriminatory practices – we really need to look at institutional discrimination and how public bodies unwittingly provide sub-optimal services to certain groups.. Additionally, promoting diversity and cultural sensitivity training for housing professionals can mitigate unconscious biases and foster inclusive practices.

Furthermore, investing in more social housing together with urban regeneration programmes in marginalised communities can alleviate socio-economic disparities and promote community cohesion integration. We used to do this – private sector renewal programmes and enveloping schemes used to work well.

I’m on the board of Manningham HA which works in an area with a high population of South Asian origin. One of our key aims is to act as the voice for the community – we believe that empowering Muslim communities through advocacy and representation enables both us and them to challenge discriminatory practices and advocate for their housing needs effectively. 

As Zara said the community is asking for fairness not favours.

Written by Mushtaq Khan, CEO of HDN