Housing association accused of doing 'nothing' for LGBTQ+ tenants in new 'three-year vision'

Rochdale’s largest housing association has been accused of doing 'nothing’ for LGBTQ+ tenants in its new ‘three-year vision’. Ian Wharton has resigned from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing’s (RBH) ‘representative body’, after claiming it is failing to protect members of his community or promote equality and diversity.

The 49-year-old, from Waithlands Road, in Newbold, says the mutual is ‘unwilling’ to help those who are subject to homophobic abused and anti-social behaviour. RBH insists it is has ‘a zero-tolerance’ approach to homophobic anti-social behaviour and is proud to be an LGBTQ+ ally.

Its representative body is mainly made up of tenants and employees, whose responsibilities include approving the corporate strategy - the 'three-year vision' - and appointing non-executive directors.

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But Mr Wharton logged off in protests when it met online last month to discuss and approve the new corporate strategy. “I could not sit through that meeting and agree with anything that was being said,” he said.

“Being from the LGBT community, nothing has been said in any vision that was moving forward that they are doing anything for residents that are in their community.”

In a scathing resignation letter to RBH bosses, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service , he writes: “You have not done anything positive for the tenants in the LGBTQ+ community, with myself being one. You look after the elderly and now in the vision for the next three years, you have mentioned about communicating with your younger tenants.”

Mr Wharton, an RBH tenant of 11 years, added: “You promise that you are a company that promotes equality and diversity,