Disproportionate BME homelessness and overcrowding in London boroughs

Research into three London boroughs by race equality charity Runnymede Trust, showed black and minority ethnic groups were around three times as likely to live in overcrowded homes.

The research, which focused on Croydon, Redbridge and Kingston, also found higher homelessness rates among black people.

In Croydon just under half of all homeless people were black, with white people accounting for 25 per cent of homeless people in the borough. The black homeless group is more than two times larger than the black population in Croydon, which is 20 per cent.

Redbridge, in east London, has a population made up of 9 per cent black people, but a homelessness list which is 26 per cent black. White people made up 24 per cent of the homelessness population. 

In the west London borough of Kingston, black groups make up 9 per cent of homeless households, despite only making up 3 per cent of the population. The white population constitutes the majority of the homeless population. 

Overcrowding was found to be around three times as high among black and minority ethnic communities than in white communities in each borough. 

Fourteen per cent of BME communities were living in overcrowded conditions in Croydon compared with 4 per cent of white, with 13 per cent compared with 4 per cent in Redbridge and 14 per cent compared with 5 per cent in Kingston.

The latest government homelessness figures, released in December, showed the number of households in London accepted as being homeless and in urgent need has increased by 13 per cent from last year.

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