LGBTQ+ Housing Research and Practice Network

The LGBTQ+ Housing Research and Practice Network is designed to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with a shared interested in LGBTQ+ people’s experiences with housing and homelessness.

This HSA members network offers a safe space for collaboration, sharing knowledge and thinking and to drive forward policy and practice, and to showcase good practice, for equitable housing outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. 

This network will provide:

• a series of dedicated events to share findings from research and good practice examples specifically focused on issues relating to LGBTQ+ people’s experience of housing and homelessness;
• a space for people to come together to discuss ideas for collaborative work, to explore key challenges and reflect on progress and to consider ways in which we can talk about intersectionality within this work;
• members with a group of critical friends to test ideas, share early drafts of work and to use the group as a sounding board for project; and
• opportunities for expert (including expert by lived experience) speakers to share learnings or host ‘spotlight’ sessions on individual topics related to LGBTQ+ inclusion and housing.

Network coordination

This network is chaired by:

Jack Mason

Jack (he/him) has worked in the LGBTQ+ sector for five years since completing his Masters degree in queer history at the University of Sussex. He managed award-winning older people’s and dementia services at a local LGBTQ+ charity based in the (sometimes) sunny and (always) cheerful city of Brighton. Now he has moved into the dynamic and exciting world of housing. He currently works as the coordinator for the LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge, by House Proud and delivered by Stonewall Housing. The pledge is an inclusion scheme that any registered social housing provider can sign up to and demonstrate their support and commitment towards LGBTQ+ residents. As part of this role, Jack supports current and future signatory organisations along their inclusion journeys and facilitates communities of good practice centred around LGBTQ+ inclusion in housing. 

Gareth Young

Gareth (he/him) is Knowledge Exchange and Impact Fellow for the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE). Gareth leads on the centre’s EDI work and is co-host of the Equality in Housing podcast. Gareth is motivated by work that spans academia, policy and practice and to find creative ways to share research and stories from policy and practice that has a person-centred approach to understanding people’s housing experiences and to thinking about ways in which access to decent housing can be more equitable. Gareth also sits on the HSA Board as Membership Officer.