AvalonBay Communities Earns Top Score for Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality

By: AvalonBay Communities, Inc. via Business Wire

January 27, 2022 at 16:15 PM EST

AvalonBay Communities earns 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC. (NYSE: AVB), a leading multifamily real estate investment trust, proudly announced that it received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. AvalonBay is the only publicly traded multifamily REIT on the list and joins the ranks of over 840 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.

“We believe that equality and equal opportunity extends to everyone, no matter who you are or who you love,” said Benjamin Schall, CEO and President of AvalonBay Communities. “We’re proud to have this external recognition and endorsement of what we, at AvalonBay, already knew — AvalonBay is a great place to work and is a company that welcomes and supports LGBTQ+ associates.”

“When the Human Rights Campaign Foundation created the Corporate Equality Index 20 years ago, we dreamed that LGBTQ+ workers — from the factory floor to corporate headquarters, in big cities and small towns — could have access to the policies and benefits needed to thrive and live life authentically,” said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President of Programs, Research and Training. “We are proud that the Corporate Equality Index paved the way to that reality for countless LGBTQ+ workers in America and abroad. But there is still more to do, which is why we are raising the bar yet again to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere. Congratulations to AvalonBay Communities for achieving the title of ‘best places to work for LGBTQ+ equality’ and working to advance inclusion in the workplace.”

The results of the 2022 CEI showcase how 1,271 U.S.-based companies are not only promoting LGBTQ+-friendly workplace policies in the U.S., but also for the 56% of CEI-rated companies with global operations who are helping advance the cause of LGBTQ+ inclusion in workplaces abroad. AvalonBay’s efforts in satisfying all the CEI’s criteria earned a 100 percent ranking and the designation as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.

The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million U.S. workers and an additional 18 million abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

About AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

As of September 30, 2021, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 293 apartment communities containing 87,416 apartment homes in 13 states and the District of Columbia, of which 17 communities were under development and one community was under redevelopment. The Company is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring, and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California, as well as in the Company's expansion markets of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, Southeast Florida, Dallas and Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado. More information may be found on the Company’s website at http://www.avalonbay.com.

About the Human Rights Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.