Industry leaders call for change after two recent reports present a shocking indictment of a housing and homelessness sector still plagued by systemic racism.

Two reports have sought to do just that: Give voice to the experiences of people who find themselves facing a struggle to find a suitable home in the tenure – simply because of the colour of their skin.

In July, Heriot Watt University’s Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE), published its report, Race, Ethnicity & Homelessness in the UK. The same month, homelessness charity Shelter released My Colour Speaks Before Me. Both lay bare some unpalatable truths about the experiences of Black and Black Mixed heritage (B/BMH) people (to use the latter report’s terminology).

The ugly face of prejudice

Between them, the two reports present stark evidence of ethnic inequalities in homelessness, housing outcomes, and in accessing social housing.

These are rooted in both structural racism, and in ongoing discrimination and prejudice across the system, with the problem often exacerbated by inter-sectional factors such as perceived or actual immigration status, sexism, homophobia, ableism, and social class.

As Shelter’s report notes: “Despite ‘race’ being socially constructed, it has profound implications for how people are treated in society and the opportunities they are given. Despite being an outdated concept, it is used to maintain hierarchies, privileging White individuals over all others.”

The study, My Colour Speaks Before Me was steered by peer researchers, along with B/BMH interview participants, who shared their lived experiences of the “significant challenges” they faced in accessing a suitable social home.

The chronic shortage of social housing affects all ethnic groups, the report acknowledges, but the impact – as it also makes clear – is hardly proportionate. As such, it highlights the “urgent need” for policy reforms to ensure “equitable access to safe and suitable housing for all”.

“Black-led households face the highest rates of homelessness and are 12 times more likely to live in temporary accommodation than White households,” says the summary report.

“This accommodation is often cramped, in poor condition and far from support networks. Black and Asian individuals are also more likely to face discrimination in the housing market, which exacerbates housing insecurity.”

Furthermore, it says: “Black-led households are over-represented in new social housing lets relative to the general population, reflecting the unequal impact of the housing emergency. However, they are under-represented when compared to their proportion of Black-led households facing homelessness.”

Deeply rooted in systemic racism and discrimination

Historic barriers people of colour face, which are “deeply rooted in systemic racism and discrimination”, have left their mark. Market-led policies – epitomised by the 1980s’ Right to Buy – disadvantaged Black British households as they were less likely than White households to have the income needed to buy their homes, which had knock-on effects.

“This has resulted in lower home ownership among Black households which, in turn, has limited wealth-building opportunities and perpetuated economic disparities,” the report notes.

What’s more, it adds: “Racial steering by social housing providers led to ethnic segregation as it involved placing People of Colour away from White communities in less desirable housing areas. This practice has made it harder for these communities to access quality housing in areas where they feel safe today.”

Key recommendations

To counter the issues it highlights, the report makes 10 recommendations. These include:

National and local government needs to prioritise delivering social rent homes and set clear national and local targets to end homelessness. with social homes allocated on a needs-based approach
Local authorities must incorporate equity and diversity into local, strategic and neighbourhood plans to tackle racism and inequalities in land, planning and development
The government should establish a national commission on racial discrimination in the housing system, including social housing allocations and access to a social home
The government should introduce and pass a new Housing Act that establishes access to an affordable, decent and safe home as a legal human right

In his response to the two reports, Smart added: “This evidence builds on the conclusions of the Better Social Housing Review (BSHR), commissioned by CIH and [the National Housing Federation], which identified entrenched structural inequality within the housing system.

“All three pieces of work make clear that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic residents – and Black residents in particular – are more likely to experience homelessness, be placed in poor-quality housing, face longer waits and greater scrutiny when applying for social housing, and encounter barriers when trying to raise concerns or access support.

“The BSHR stated that housing providers’ core purpose – delivering decent, safe, and affordable homes – must be underpinned by a culture rooted in anti-racism, equity, and accountability. The joint CIH–NHF action plan set out a roadmap for change … but as the Shelter and Heriot-Watt reports both show, change will not happen through plans alone – it requires a meaningful shift in organisational culture, values, and behaviours, co-created with communities and driven by those with lived experience.”

Systemic disadvantage

As for the Heriot-Watt University study, its analysis of 750,000 household records found that Black households accepted as statutorily homelessness are less than half as likely to gain a social home as their White counterparts.

According to its findings, only 10% of Black families gained social housing through the statutory homelessness system, compared to 24% of White families.

This means Black families are less than half as likely to secure permanent housing as their White counterparts. Similar outcomes were identified for other minoritised families, with rates ranging between 11-12% for most.

To add further insult to injury, Black and other minoritised people facing homelessness are also feeling forced to change their names, alter their accents, and even cut their hair in an attempt to avoid discrimination, according to the three-and-a-half-year study. Indeed, masking identities was found to be a common thread through focus groups.

The research reveals systematic disadvantage throughout the homelessness process, with the study finding that:

Black families are six times more likely to live in overcrowded conditions than White households
Pakistani and Bangladeshi households face the highest overcrowding rates at over seven times the White average
41% of Black families leave the statutory system to unknown destinations, compared to 28% for White families

Beyond these statistical disparities, the report also documents shocking experiences of discrimination across multiple services. Participants reported being told by council officials: “You should be grateful for what you have. You don’t have this back in your country.”

This is an edited version of an article on the Housing Digital website.