EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - The housing and moving choices of ethnic minorities

The housing and moving choices of ethnic minorities

Introduction

This report documents the pattern of choosing housing among ethnic minorities and the factors explaining these choices. One of these factors might be the composition of population in the chosen housing estate.

Description

This survey shows that there is a high migration of ethnic minorities both to and from the multiethnic housing estates. Hence, there are as many households that move away from the areas as into the areas. However, there are some differences between these two groups. The households that move away are often the better integrated ethnic groups such as descendants of immigrants or Danish citizens. Many of them are also employed and have a higher income than the households that move into the multiethnic areas. The survey can not find answers to the consequences of this. Does it mean that the less integrated ethnic minorities move into the multietnic neighbourhoods and then move out when they are employed? Or does it mean that the multiethnic areas are changing into areas with a large concentration of less intregrated minorities?

Background information

The ethnic minorities in Denmark are geographically very unevenly settled. They often live in urban area and seldom in smaller towns or the country side. A very large part of these minorities live in social housing (60%) and many live in multiethnic housing estates with more than 40% ethnic minorities (22%). They live relatively often in owner flats and seldom in private rental housing, co-operative dwellings or single-family houses. It is the same pattern -but to a smaller degree -for the employed minorities with good incomes. The ethnic minorities have significantly less space available than Danes, but the standard of installation is at the same level.

EU involvement

This report is part of a research effort called 'Segregation, local integration and employment' (SLIB). The project is a cooperation between The Danish Building Research Institute and University of Roskilde. It is financed by the national 'Strategic Programme for Welfare Research'.

Conclusions

The migration is mostly local. More than 60% move within the same city and almost every fifth within the same social housing association unit. The ethnic minorities move much less across cities, municipalities or regions than the total population.
Ethnic minorities more seldom move away from small cities and the country side than the total population, but it is even more rare for them to move into these areas.
The newest immigrants or refugees have the largest share of net migrations towards the 3 large cities and the Greater Copenhagen Region, however the number in total is not that high.
As expected mainly the least integrated ethnic minorities move into multiethnic ares, but there are also some families with good employment and better income among these.
Statistic analyses show that the comprehensive migration of ethnic minorities to social housing estates and multiethnic areas can not be explained by differences compared to the total population such as family relations, employment, income and geography. Hence, the survey shows that there must be other explanations to the choice of hosuing. One of these might be that ethnic minorities often choose to move to urban areas with many of the same ethnic group. As shown by this survey the most important factor is the size of the local ethnic environment. When it is big enough, then the share of compatriots among the residents does not mean that much.
The ethnic minorities seldom move into private letting housing or co-operative dwellings than other groups with the same economic level or social background. This is the most regulated and least accessible part of the housing market, where the accessibility depends on non-economic conditions such as networks and connections. Hence, the survey indicates that these minorities lack networks that create access to these apartments or that they get discriminated. The more accessible part of this housing sector is often the worst ones.
However, the ethnic minorities have a 60% larger probability of moving to owner flats. An explanation to this could be that they are not part of the private letting sector.
Ethnic minorities seldom move to single-family owner houses than what their income and family situation would normally lead to. Hence, there is a group of ethnic minorities that could move into owner houses, but choose to live in social housing estates. This could be explained by either a desire to live close to compatriots, poor opportunities to lend money or a lack of interest in investing.

Contact info

Danish Building Research Institute
Denmark
Hans Skifter Andersen, tel. 0045 45865533

Publication date

09/08/2006

Researcher

Hans Skifter Andersen

Links

More information on the Danish Building Research Institute

Report (in Danish only, PDF, 683KB) Dansk

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy

Keywords

Social inclusion & integration

Institutional characteristics
Academic/Research