The government has today released annual
figures on the prevention and relief of homelessness in England.
They show that between April 2019 and March
2020:
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Black people are disproportionately affected
by homelessness with 1 in 23 black households becoming homeless
or threatened with homelessness, versus 1 in 83 households from
all other ethnicities combined.
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11% of homeless people applying for help are
black even though black people make up 3% of households in
England.
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A quarter (24%) of people making homelessness
applications to local councils are from Black, Asian and
Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, even though they make up just
over a tenth (11%) of all households in
England.
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A person who is Black, Asian and Minority
Ethnic (BAME) becomes homeless or threatened with homelessness
every eight minutes.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter
said: “On the first day of Black History Month, it is
vital we address the deep inequality and systemic racism that
persists in the housing system and continues to deny thousands a
safe home. It is both telling and appalling to see black people
and others who are BAME disproportionately impacted by
homelessness.
“We must act fast, because the pandemic we are
now enduring is only intensifying the housing emergency and its
destructive inequalities. We know black people are more likely to
be homeless or live in overcrowded homes putting them at greater
risk from this virus.
“But right now, the government is failing to
prevent homelessness because it’s not doing enough to increase
the number of decent, genuinely affordable, social homes. Through
social housing, the government has the capacity to provide the
sanctuary of a safe home. We can’t allow the legacy of Covid-19
to be one of rising homelessness and shattered
lives.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
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Following the implementation of the Homelessness
Reduction Act (HRA) in April 2018 the government (MHCLG) has
changed the way it collects data from local councils on
statutory homelessness. The HRA has given councils new duties
to assess, prevent and relieve homelessness for anyone who is
eligible for assistance.
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Black people are 3.6 times more likely to
experience homelessness than all other ethnic groups. Between
April 2019 and March 2020, 1 in 23 households with a Black
person as the household reference person (HRP) became homeless
or threatened with homelessness, compared with 1 in 83
households of all other ethnic groups as the HRP. We recognise
that the HRP does not necessarily represent the ethnicity of
all members of the household.
-
The number of people making homelessness
applications who are Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) is
the proportion of main homeless applicants who are found to be
homeless or threatened with homelessness and are Black/Black
British, Asian/Asian British, Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups or
Other ethnic groups. This is available at MHCLG, Statutory homelessness
live tables, Detailed local authority level tables:
financial year 2019-20, Table A8
-
The proportion of households in England who are
BAME is the proportion of households whose household reference
person is Black/Black British, Asian/Asian British,
Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups or Other ethnic groups. This is
available at Office of National Statistics: Census 2011
DC1201EW - Household
composition by ethnic group of Household Reference
Person
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Black people are more likely to live in overcrowded
homes compared to White British households. In the three years
to March 2019, 2% of White British households were overcrowded,
compared with 16% of Black African households and 7% of Black
Caribbean households. This is available at: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/housing/housing-conditions/overcrowded-households/latest
