<p><span>Homes England has launched its first annual <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-diversity-and-inclusion-report--2">Equality, Diversity and Inclusion report</a>, it announced today (July 29). </span><span></span></p> <p><span>The report sets out five objectives the government housing agency will focus upon over the next four years as it moves to become a more “inclusive, equal and diverse workplace”. It said communities would be at the heart of the agency's approach. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>A key measure will be for Homes England to request diversity and inclusion commitments from panel members for all future panel procurements. It is currently developing a replacement for its Delivery Partner Panel of developers and contractors (DPP3), with the project team developing criteria to support greater diversity and inclusion in the panel and instilling these as a condition for joining the panel. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>Homes England has also pledged to identify and address gaps when it comes to meeting the needs of diverse communities. It said it would commit to ensuring its services represent not just the society it serves, “but the society we all want to see”, and would review how successfully it is fulfilling its duty to provide inclusive, equal access to its services, making any necessary changes. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>And the agency committed to developing a …