Our new report reveals the need for targeted strategies to address the disproportionate levels of homelessness experienced by some minoritised ethnic communities in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) area.
The report, “Designing out homelessness amongst minoritised communities in the West Midlands Combined Authority Area,” was conducted at the invitation of the WMCA Homelessness Taskforce and Race Equalities Taskforce. It examines the scale, patterns, and drivers of homelessness among minoritised communities and provides practical recommendations for prevention. Read the full report and Executive summary
The research confirms that certain minoritised communities experience higher rates of homelessness in the region, with particularly elevated risks for Black and Mixed ethnicity households. Black-led households in the WMCA area were found to be more than twice as likely to experience statutory homelessness as White British-led households. At the same time, Pakistani and Bangladeshi households are at much greater risk of hidden forms of homelessness, such as sofa surfing or living in overcrowded homes.
Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, director of I-SPHERE at Heriot-Watt University, is the report’s lead author. She said: “Our research shows that complex structural factors, including housing tenure, poverty, and demographic patterns, combine with discrimination to drive disproportionate homelessness among minoritised communities in the West Midlands, as they do across England. We found that Black households experience statutory homelessness at more than twice the rate of White households, though this disparity is less pronounced than elsewhere in the country.
“What’s encouraging is that we’ve identified numerous prevention practices that, if expanded, could significantly reduce these disparities. We’ve seen innovation throughout the region, from strengths-based employment initiatives to data-driven upstream efforts to reduce homelessness risks. These examples demonstrate that, with the right partnerships and targeted interventions, we can make substantial progress in designing out homelessness among minoritised communities in the area.”
The researchers also identified culturally attuned support for multi-generational households as already tackling the challenges the WMCA area faces.
Speaking ahead of a regional practitioner event where the findings will be presented, the Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands, Councillor Sharon Thompson, said: “This important research provides a clear roadmap for our continued work to design out homelessness. The West Midlands Combined Authority and its regional cross sector partners are committed to addressing these inequalities through our Homelessness and Race Equalities Taskforces. The report recognises the innovative prevention work already happening across our region including the importance of partnership working between mainstream and specialist services to ensure culturally sensitive and high-quality provision. It also challenges us all to do more to ensure everyone has access to safe, suitable housing regardless of their ethnic background.”
The practitioner will take place on 18th July in Birmingham city centre and will bring together housing providers, local authorities, voluntary sector organisations, and community representatives to explore the practical implementation of the report’s recommendations.
Housing and homelessness prevention teams, social landlords, private sector housing enforcement officers, migrant support organisations, domestic abuse services, mental health practitioners, and representatives from criminal justice, education and employment services. Interest can be expressed by emailing homelessness@wmca.org.uk.