What's new?

• Findings from our Survey of Needs and Provision related to ethnic minorities , including the proportion of projects with specialist services or members of staff targeted at minority ethnic groups.

• Organisations that are registered users of the BMEspark website are invited to enter the BMEspark Awards for 2007 that recognise excellence and innovation in responding to the support needs of vulnerable people in Black and minority ethnic communities. Registration and online access to BMEspark is free for SP-funded service providers and commissioners until 31 March 2007.

• The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) announces the successful projects for its £3 million fund to tackle ethnic minority homelessness

Homelessness among black and minority ethnic groups

Evidence suggests that black and minority ethnic groups (BME) face disproportionate levels of homelessness and housing difficulties. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) ethnic minority households are around three times more likely to become statutorily homeless than the majority white population.

Black African and black Carribean groups are especially vulnerable to homelessness, being twice as likely to be accepted as homelessas people of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin. DCLG research into overcrowding also shows that BME groups are significantly more likely to live in overcrowded conditions, especially in London. For whites the national rate of overcrowding is 1.8 per cent, but for BME groups it is 11 per cent. In London the rate for whites rises to 4 per cent, and for BME groups to 13 per cent.

The issues

Ethnic minority households are disproportionally vulnerable to homelessness because of a complex cycle of deprivation. Social exclusion caused by poverty, unemployment, low educational achievements, overcrowding, stress, ill-health and social isolation etc, affects a greater proportion of ethnic minority individuals than White people, and reduces the housing options available to certain communities.

In addition the DCLG has identified a number of factors that can contribute to homelessness among BME individuals:

• first-generation migrants may have language difficulties, be unfamiliar with British institutions, possess skills that are ill-adapted to the British labour market, have limited social networks and experience prejudice and discrimination.
• For later generations familiarity with the dominant culture is less of an issue, but many continue to experience various forms of exclusion (in employment, education, health, etc).
• Family conflicts, as parents and children have different values and expectations can contribute to youth homelessness.

It is important to stress that the triggers and experience of homelessness differs between groups. DCLG research into the Causes of Homelessness in Ethnic Minority Communities highlights these differences. For example, among refugees, loss of National Asylum Support Services (NASS) accommodation once they have been granted refugee status can often lead to homelessness - our Asylum and immigration page highlights these issues in more detail. In contrast, amongst single femaleheaded South Asian households domestic violence was the most common cause of homelessness.

A breakdown of statutory homelessness statistics for different ethnic groups is available on the DCLG website.

Resources

• BMEspark, is a CLG-funded website on meeting the needs of BME clients in Supporting People services.

• In September 2005 the ODPM (now the Department for Communities and Local Government) published research into Homelessness amongst ethnic minority populations.

• RaceActionNet – information service and membership network

• The Black and minority Ethnic Housing Crisis – Shelter report

• Homelessness, Asylum Seekers and Refugees - Broadway factsheet

• CRE Housing code of practice - Explains the provision of the Race Relations Act 1976 that are relevant to the provision of housing.

• CRE - Commission for Racial Equality

• Federation of Black Housing Organisations (FBHO) - An umbrella body for the black-led housing sector (including housing associations, hostels, refuges, housing co-ops, housing advice and training organisations) and black individuals involved in the housing field.

• Race on the Agenda (ROTA) is running a project through OSW’s programme ‘Tackling Multiple Disadvantage in London by Improving Employability”(TMD London)’, which focuses on Linking Services for Black Minority Ethnic Homeless Individuals

• Homeless Link pages on the travelling community

• The Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) The new body, which will become operational in Autumn 2007, will inherit the responsibilities of the existing equality commissions: the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission.

• DCLG statistics - Homeless households in priority need accepted by local authorities, by Ethnicity.

• Search for pages on Race and Ethnicity on the Homeless Link website.