Lara Oyedele, the current President of the Chartered Institute of Housing, is passionate about eliminating homelessness and promoting diversity in leadership. Her presidential campaign is promoting ethnic and racial diversity in the boardrooms of housing organisations, while also encouraging the donation of shoes to the Charity Shoe Aid which provides shoes for homeless families and families living in poverty.
Originally trained as a journalist, she has over 30 years’ experience working in housing associations, local authorities, private sector housing management companies and homelessness charities. A former Housing Association CEO, Lara was founding Chair of, and creative force behind, BMENational, the coalition promoting ethnic minority housing associations in England. She was also central to the development of Migrant Rights housing information website https://www.housing-rights.info/index.php
Lara is chair of homelessness charity, Hope Housing (Bradford) and a Non-Exec Director of Housing 21. Lara runs the training company Black on Board whose aim is to increase diverse representation on boards. She is also developing an affordable housing company. She loves shoes, tea and Eastenders.