The Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland has launched a new web-based practice briefing, on equality, diversity and housing.

This free publication is aimed at providing good practice guidance for housing organisations on the impact of equality and diversity issues in the communities that they serve.

The briefing comes at a time when Equalities is back on the political agenda with the introduction of a new Equality Bill which is certain to pose new challenges for social landlords and public bodies across the UK.

As well as highlighting the forthcoming changes in legislation, the briefing is a practical guide for housing organisations to enable them to develop coherent and responsive equality and diversity strategies.

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This is particularly relevant given the recent major report by the Scottish Housing Regulator, Social Landlords in Scotland; Shaping up for Improvement, which indicated that progress across the sector is slow in relation to improving equality and diversity practices. The regulator has also recently outlined an Equality Action Plan for 2009 and their continued commitment to monitoring equalities in the regulation activities.

Launching the briefing, Alan Ferguson, Director of CIH Scotland, said: "CIH Scotland is pleased to be able to make this practice briefing freely available as a tool to enable housing organisations across Scotland to review their equality and diversity strategies and to further prepare for the introduction of a new Equality Bill and respond to the concerns of the S cottish Housing Regulator.

"It is important that all organisations work together to try and eliminate the discrimination that still exists in our society today and to promote equality of opportunity in all areas of work."

(GK/BMcC)