Needs of ethnic minorities ‘hidden’

Local authorities must consider the needs of people from ethnic
minorities when they develop their homelessness strategies, housing
minister Tony McNulty has urged.

Speaking at a regeneration conference last week, he said that for
too long the extent of homelessness among ethnic minorities had
been hidden.

“We need to look at how age, gender and culture interact among
different ethnic minority groups and we need to learn from what we
find and respond effectively,” he said.

Under the Homelessness Act 2002, which came into effect on 31 July
last year, councils have a duty to formulate a strategy to tackle
homelessness by July 2003 and to review it every five years.

Government figures on ethnicity published for the first time last
September showed that almost one in four homeless households
accepted by councils as being homeless were from an ethnic
minority.