The report presents the main findings of the study with reference to homelessness in South Asian, Black Caribbean, Black African, Irish, and the refugee populations. For each group, it provides:

The report looks at the variations that exist across local authorities in their approaches to homelessness generally, as well as their provisions specifically for ethnic minorities. It suggests that local authorities lack a strategic approach to meeting the needs of the ethnic minority homeless.

There is a growing recognition amongst policy makers that homelessness is an outcome of social exclusion. New policy developments seek to address the social, economic and personal problems that can lead to homelessness. They focus on the most vulnerable groups in society, many of whom are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Given the over-representation of ethnic minority people amongst those who present as homeless, homelessness strategies should develop a systematic approach to the delivery of culturally competent services that are responsive to the various needs of a diverse community.

Methodology used included:

Fieldwork was conducted in nine different local authority areas in England, selected on the basis of their geographical location, large concentration of ethnic minority communities, and number of ethnic minority homelessness applications.

The report finds that the main causes of homelessness across all ethnic minority groups (excluding refugees) include

There are numerous recommendations for action, some of which include:

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now Department for Communities and Local Government)
Phone: +44 20 7944 4400
contactus@communities.gsi.gov.uk

01/09/2005

Marie-Claude Gervais and Hamid Rehman, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

research

Urban Policy > Housing > Housing policy

Homelessness