No. 43/04

Press Release: Friday 27 August 2004

Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) community groups and initiatives across England will benefit from a £1,075,532 cash windfall as part of a package of grants to encourage innovation and good practice in housing announced by the Housing Corporation.

Of the 17 projects funded, 12 are Community Training & Enabling grants, specifically designed to encourage residents to have a greater say in how their neighbourhoods are run and managed.

In addressing issues of equality, diversity and sustainability, there is £38,450 to identify new ways of recruiting and supporting BME Board members. Six housing associations in the north of England will benefit initially, as part of the pilot project which also includes an on-going mentoring and development programme.

Elsewhere, there is £79,140 to research, and develop a strategy to meet, the housing aspirations of Black and Minority Ethnic residents in Southampton; £60,000 for an MBA bursary programme; £86,000 for a race relations archive; and £65,000 to improve training and development opportunities for BME tenants in London.

Housing Corporation chief executive, Jon Rouse, said: "Our Investment and Good Practice programme, and particularly the Community Training and Enabling element, delivers much-needed funds to meet local priorities. This is real cash, going direct to real people who are engaged in initiatives which benefit entire communities.

"Over the years, our IGP programme has funded a raft of pioneering projects, many of which have benefitted BME members of our community and have subsequently paved the way as examples of best practice within the sector. I am delighted that the package we are announcing today will ensure that this good work continues."

The Corporation is also implementing a number of wide-ranging changes to the IGP programme to better reflect central and regional Government priorities.

The IGP programme was launched in 1995 and has funded over 2000 projects to date, to the tune of £75m.

ends

For more information contact Gillian Watson on 020 7393 2095; email: gillian.watson@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk

Notes to Editors

1. The Housing Corporation is the Government agency responsible for regulating and investing in over 2,000 housing associations in England. It is changing the face of affordable homes, creating strong communities that are exciting places to live and work. Its biggest ever investment programe of £3.3 billion for 2004-06 will fund over 67,000 affordable homes.

2. The full list of BME projects to receive funding is as follows:

• Four equality projects (Mentoring tracking, Race Equality Network, Building Positive action, and COFEM).
• Promoting the involvement of BME communities in stock transfers.
• An independent race relations archive to maintain a library and on-line catalogue of race equality reports.
• Research and development of a strategy to meet the housing aspirations of Black and Minority Ethnic residents in Southampton.
• An MBA Busary programme to develop the quality of management in the housing sector.
• Improvement of training and development opportunities, and interactive tenancy involvment, for BME groups.
• Increased participation and representation of BME communities in LB Tower Hamlets.
• A building project for BME Board members in order to increase local accountability.
• Evaluation of differences in satisfaction levels between BME and non-BME tenants.
• A programme of BME recruitment to housing association Boards.
• Development of tenant involvement and BME-led neighbourhood improvements.
• Provision of equality and diversity good practice guidance to small housing associations.
• BME good practice seminars designed to raise awareness of diversity issues and stimulate debate.
• A race equality netw