You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
We can no longer sidestep race inequalities in the homelessness system
Our research on the experience of homeless Black families trying to access housing support shows the need tackle discrimination, writes Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, director of I-SPHERE at Heriot-Watt University
Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick is director of the Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Environment and Real Estate at Heriot-Watt University
...more
We can no longer sidestep race inequalities in the homelessness system #UKhousingOur research on the experience of homeless Black families trying to access housing support shows the need tackle discrimination, writes Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick of Heriot-Watt University #UKhousingDevastating new findings from our three-and-a-half-year study reveals ethnic inequalities that the housing and homelessness sector can no longer sidestep: areas of our homelessness systems are failing Black and ethnic minority communities. The evidence is stark – Black people are almost four times more likely to become homeless, and when they do access the statutory homelessness system, they can face dramatically worse outcomes.
Our statistical analysis of 750,000 household records from the statutory homelessness system provides vital hard data, supported by the lived experiences of people navigating these systems. We found that only 10% of Black families gained social housing through the statutory homelessness system, compared with 24% of white families. This represents not merely statistical disparity, but suggests systemic discrimination that potentially leaves thousands of families trapped in cycles of housing insecurity.
People are changing their names, altering their accents and even cutting their hair in an attempt to avoid discrimination in housing, as well as in employment and other spheres. As one participant told us: “I always hide my identity… because I’ve experienced a lot of discrimination.”
Another participant described how “my sister had to change her name to our father’s first name… She had to start watching YouTube channels to speak from a proper English accent”.
When individuals feel compelled to deny their own identity to access services, we must recognise that our housing, homelessness and other public systems may be reinforcing inequalities in ways which amount to institutional discrimination.
Our research suggests evidence of both explicit racism and systemic discrimination. Through our analysis of the English Housing Survey, we found that 31% of Black people with experience of homelessness anticipated being treated less favourably by landlords on account of their ethnicity.
Our qualitative investigation found that some private landlords refuse outright to accommodate people from a minority ethnic background, with participants reporting being told directly: “They didn’t want to let me view the house because I was Black… When I got there, they’d be like, ‘No, we can’t give it to you because you’re Black.’”
Some unscrupulous landlords seem to feel that they can act with impunity towards tenants from minority ethnic communities, particularly refugees and migrants, given the difficulties they face in defending their housing rights.
Without robust monitoring of ethnicity across housing, homelessness and other services, discriminatory practices can remain hidden and unchallenged. As one senior stakeholder noted: “When you’re talking about stereotypes and racism and mistreatment in Black and Asian communities, I think it’s really hard to evidence that because it is so covert a lot of the time.”
Yet when data is collected and analysed, the patterns become clear. Our analysis revealed that while 28% of white-led statutorily homeless families leave the system to unknown destinations, this rises to 41% for Black families. Without systematic monitoring, such disparities often remain invisible to policy-makers and practitioners alike.
We need hard evidence – by ethnicity – of who accesses services, how they’re treated, what support they receive and, crucially, what their outcomes are. Only through such comprehensive monitoring can services systematically identify and tackle racist assumptions and discriminatory practices that lead to adverse outcomes for minority ethnic communities.
The current extreme pressure on social and affordable housing supply provides important context, but it cannot explain or excuse these ethnic disparities. People with lived experience voiced concern not only about accommodation accessed via the statutory homelessness system, but also about their treatment by council staff. Many reported callous, uncaring responses, with some experiencing directly racist comments from local authority officers implying they should be grateful for anything given conditions in their home countries.
“When someone seeking help feels compelled to disguise their ethnic identity to avoid discrimination, we’re witnessing the profound failure of systems designed to provide a robust safety net in crisis”
The forthcoming cross-government homelessness strategy provides a crucial opportunity to embed understanding and accountability around disproportionate impacts on minority ethnic communities. Similarly, the proposed ‘private rented sector landlord ombudsman’ could provide a valuable mechanism to challenge discriminatory behaviour on the part of private landlords, while investment in training and support for housing and homelessness officers could help tackle both staff burnout and racist stereotyping affecting
This research points to something deeper than policy and practice adjustments. The evidence reveals the potency of wide-ranging structural disadvantage rooted in historic racism, combining with current discrimination, to create disproportionate homelessness risks for some minority ethnic communities, particularly Black people.
When someone seeking help feels compelled to disguise their ethnic identity to avoid discrimination, we’re witnessing the profound failure of systems designed to provide a robust safety net in crisis. For a housing and homelessness sector committed to supporting people in greatest need, this research demands nothing less than fundamental transformation in how we understand, measure and respond to racial inequality.
Yet beyond specific policy reforms, addressing these inequalities requires broader societal change to tackle the racist attitudes and ‘hostile environment’ rhetoric that perpetuate homelessness risks for minority ethnic communities. We must counter anti-immigrant sentiment not only with evidence, but with compelling narratives that emphasise our common humanity and the benefits of diverse, inclusive societies.
Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, director of the Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research, Heriot-Watt University
Related stories
