Housing associations must incorporate race equality issues in their business plans, but individual landlords will decide how it is to be done.
That was the message from Housing Corporation chief executive Norman Perry, speaking at the formal launch of the Race and Housing Inquiry's race equality code of practice this week.

The code sets out the targets and standards of governance, employment and service delivery, which the race panel expects RSLs to work towards.

It comes six months after the Challenge report took submissions from the sector on its handling of racial equality.

Perry stressed that the document sent out a strong message to associations to incorporate the code into their strategies.

"We are putting the requirement on associations [to meet the code's standards], it's not up to us to say how they do it," he said.

"There are lots of examples of good practice . We don't think its acceptable for people to say 'we don't know how to do it' or 'we have tried to achieve it and it didn't work'."

Constance Hall, board member of the Federation of Black Housing Organisations, warned that a more representative cross section of the public was needed on RSL boards.

At present the sector did not have a sufficiently high profile to achieve this, she added.

Hall raised the vexed question of paying board members and pointed out that members of ethnic minorities are often on lower incomes than their white counterparts.

"We are seeking to attract younger professionals, and people from an ethnic minority are going to look for some incentive – this is an issue where debate is needed," she said.

Included in the code is a requirement for associations to commit to the corporations regulatory requirements and guidance. It sets out how associations can show they are working towards equality in key service areas.

Associations will also have to adopt recruitment policies and practices that reflect race equality objectives and set targets and performance indicators to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of action taken.