Black homelessness

Women and Equalities Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 20 Nov 2025 Parliament page
This inquiry examines why and how Black people face disproportionate risks of homelessness. It will also consider what measures the Government should include in its upcoming cross-departmental homelessness and rough sleeping strategy.
9 Recommendations
19 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
2 Events
Activity timeline 3 events
15 Jul
2026
Report published
7 Jan
2026
Oral evidence
25 Nov
2025
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
7 Jan 2026
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Women and Equalities Committee
Alison McGovern MP · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Danielle Celeste · Off the Wall Players Henri Baptiste · Pathway Housing Solutions Philippa Davies · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Polly Stephens · New Horizon Youth Centre
25 Nov 2025
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Women and Equalities Committee
Andrea Gilbert · Crisis Jasmine Basran · Crisis Martha Schofield · Shelter Professor Glen Bramley · Heriot-Watt University Uche Eneke · Shelter
Title HC No. Published Items Response
1st Report - Black people’s experiences of homelessness HC 517 15 Jul 2026 28 Pending
Recommendations & Conclusions
28 results
1 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
Evidence of prejudice against Black tenants in the private rented sector makes it crucial that...
Evidence of prejudice against Black tenants in the private rented sector makes it crucial that support and pathways to challenge illegal behaviour are available and accessible. We welcome the increased rights for tenants delivered by the Renters’ Rights Act, which … Read more
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2 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman should support individuals who have been subject to racial...
The new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman should support individuals who have been subject to racial discrimination and where appropriate, for example in cases involving multiple complaints about larger housing providers, escalate cases to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. (Recommendation, … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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3 Recommendation
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The Equality and Human Rights Commission saw its budget slashed in 2013 and has experienced...
The Equality and Human Rights Commission saw its budget slashed in 2013 and has experienced year on year reductions in funding in real terms since then, preventing it from pursuing sustained programmes of work in key areas including supporting people … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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4 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
Local Housing Allowance provides vital support for people on lower incomes.
Local Housing Allowance provides vital support for people on lower incomes. The ad hoc approach of freezing and resetting rates creates uncertainty, pushes people into further poverty and increased risks of homelessness. This in turn forces local authorities to increase … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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5 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The government needs to increase and sustain Local Housing Allowance rates at the 30th percentile...
The government needs to increase and sustain Local Housing Allowance rates at the 30th percentile of local private rents. Doing so will help to prevent people from being pushed into homelessness due to private rent increases, will immediately unlock more … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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6 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The chronic shortage of social housing places enormous pressure on council staff to find appropriate...
The chronic shortage of social housing places enormous pressure on council staff to find appropriate housing for people who are often extremely vulnerable. They do crucial work in trying circumstances. However, official data suggests that decisions in the social housing … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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7 Recommendation
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
We welcome the introduction of the new Competence and Conduct Standard for housing management staff...
We welcome the introduction of the new Competence and Conduct Standard for housing management staff but, given long-standing issues of discrimination against Black people, we believe the government should introduce specific steps aimed at tackling racial bias. (Conclusion, Paragraph 60) Read more
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8 Recommendation
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The government should work with local authorities to ensure that their staff are fully equipped...
The government should work with local authorities to ensure that their staff are fully equipped to provide equal support to all racial and ethnic groups in need. We are sympathetic to calls for anti-racism training and guidance. We call on … Read more
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9 Recommendation
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The government should develop a national performance management framework for homelessness assessments and allocation policies...
The government should develop a national performance management framework for homelessness assessments and allocation policies which specifically includes monitoring of outcomes by race and sex and compliance with the Equality Act 2010. It should collate and publish a summary of … Read more
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10 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
Out of area placements can remove vulnerable people from their support networks at a time...
Out of area placements can remove vulnerable people from their support networks at a time when they most need them and have a devastating impact on people’s healthcare and education. Reports of the disproportionate use of these placements for Black … Read more
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11 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
We welcome the government’s plans to address poor practice in the use of out of...
We welcome the government’s plans to address poor practice in the use of out of area placements. Those plans should include measures to address the disproportionate use of these placements for Black households, including through the recording and publication of … Read more
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12 Recommendation
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
Statutory services should be required to play a stronger role in tackling homelessness.
Statutory services should be required to play a stronger role in tackling homelessness. We welcome the focus in the National Plan to End Homelessness on switching from crisis response to prevention of homelessness and the proposed “duty to collaborate” to … Read more
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13 Recommendation
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
In bringing forward the “duty to collaborate” the government should set out a clear ambition...
In bringing forward the “duty to collaborate” the government should set out a clear ambition to tackle the poorer outcomes including increased risks of homelessness that minority ethnic groups experience in leaving the care of public services. The government should … Read more
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14 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The Home Office and the police should be added to the list of public bodies...
The Home Office and the police should be added to the list of public bodies subject to the statutory ‘duty to refer’ and included in the forthcoming proposals for a ‘duty to collaborate’. (Recommendation, Paragraph 75)
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15 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
We welcome the government’s programmes to increase access to mental health support for people in...
We welcome the government’s programmes to increase access to mental health support for people in the homelessness system. We would like to see improved access to referral pathways between health and housing services in areas with high levels of Black … Read more
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16 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
Domestic abuse is a key driver of homelessness.
Domestic abuse is a key driver of homelessness. The housing workforce must have the training and capacity required to deal with cases effectively and compassionately. The government has increased the funding available to support victims into safe accommodation but it … Read more
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17 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
We welcome the measures in the Social Housing Bill to support victims of domestic abuse...
We welcome the measures in the Social Housing Bill to support victims of domestic abuse and to help prevent them becoming homeless. We will follow the scrutiny of the Bill closely. (Conclusion, Paragraph 93)
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18 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
Government strategies to end rough sleeping must take into account that women are more likely...
Government strategies to end rough sleeping must take into account that women are more likely to manage their homelessness by making themselves less visible. Using this as a coping strategy can expose them to further risks. More hidden forms of … Read more
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19 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
We welcome the focus on young people in the National Plan to End Homelessness, not...
We welcome the focus on young people in the National Plan to End Homelessness, not least given the elevated risks young people can face through abuse, family breakdown and care leaving. Ensuring young people can get the right support at … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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20 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The intersections of race with other characteristics, like age, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and disability, shapes...
The intersections of race with other characteristics, like age, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and disability, shapes both the likelihood of homelessness and the type of homelessness experienced by Black people and others. Recognition of overlapping issues is essential for understanding how … Read more
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21 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government should create a standardised framework for data...
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government should create a standardised framework for data collection. This should require local authorities to collect and publish data on social housing applications, outcomes, use and duration of temporary accommodation, and exits from … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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22 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
Black people face a greater risk of homelessness compared to other ethnic groups.
Black people face a greater risk of homelessness compared to other ethnic groups. This disparity is not explained by poverty or geography alone. Instead, it reflects a combination of factors: direct and indirect racism in housing and related services, structural … Read more
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23 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The government’s National Plan to End Homelessness and increased investment in social housing are very...
The government’s National Plan to End Homelessness and increased investment in social housing are very welcome. However, it is disappointing that there is little recognition in the Plan of the disproportionate impact of homelessness on Black people or any targeted … Read more
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24 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
The delivery of the government’s National Plan to End Homelessness, including resultant policies and local...
The delivery of the government’s National Plan to End Homelessness, including resultant policies and local strategies, should explicitly acknowledge and seek to tackle the excess risks of homelessness faced by Black people, and the disproportionately worse outcomes they experience within … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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25 Recommendation
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
As part of its National Plan the government should engage with smaller, Black-led organisations who...
As part of its National Plan the government should engage with smaller, Black-led organisations who have the trust of their communities. This will enable the government to understand the issues Black people face across a range of ethnicities and other … Read more
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26 Recommendation
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
In allocating funding to third sector organisations the government should not lose sight of those...
In allocating funding to third sector organisations the government should not lose sight of those bodies who support the ‘hidden homeless’, including women who might be fleeing domestic abuse and who may be particularly vulnerable and in need of support. … Read more
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27 Recommendation
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
We welcome the government’s commitment to halve rough sleeping and the additional funding to support...
We welcome the government’s commitment to halve rough sleeping and the additional funding to support that objective. We urge the government to allocate some of that funding to frontline organisations working with Black rough sleepers given the particular challenges those … Read more
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28 Conclusion
1st Report - Black people’s experi…
While no one should be criminalised for sleeping rough, it is clear that the use...
While no one should be criminalised for sleeping rough, it is clear that the use of powers under the Vagrancy Act have been disproportionately used against the Black homeless population. We welcome the government’s repeal of the Act and the … Read more
Government Equalities Office
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