Housing allocation is ‘ethnically biased’

The chair of the Commission for Racial Equality has accused
councils of “straightforward discrimination” in housing allocations
for people from ethnic minority communities.

Trevor Phillips made the comment last week, after a study by
Shelter revealed that families from ethnic minorities are six times
more likely to be living in overcrowded housing than white
households.

He said evidence suggested that most councils were still not making
their services “accessible” and many ethnic minority groups did not
know how to approach them.

This is despite legislation requiring public bodies to introduce
race equality schemes from 2001.

The research showed nearly a million children in England are living
in overcrowded housing leading to the spread of infections and the
break-up of families.

The charity is urging the government to build more family-size
homes to get low-income families out of the poverty trap. The worst
affected areas are in London where almost one in three children
live in cramped social housing.

l The number of households in temporary accommodation is set to
reach in “excess of 100,000”, revealed the former head of the
government’s bed and breakfast unit.

Ashley Horsey said quarterly figures due to be released before
Christmas “will be highly politically embarrassing for
ministers”.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said figures were still
being collected from councils.