Briefing: Are there disparities in the length of time White and Black and Black Mixed heritage headed households are spending in temporary accommodation?

Shelter’s peer research project, My colour speaks before me: How racism and discrimination affect Black and Black Mixed heritage people's access to social homes in England, reveals that Black and Black Mixed heritage (B/BMH) people continue to face discrimination when trying to secure a social home in England. While waiting to access a social home, many of these people live in temporary accommodation (TA).

We analysed new data from the Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) to explore the length of time households are spending in temporary accommodation. We compared the experiences of White-headed households, and Black and Black Mixed heritage households.

We found that, in England, Black and Black Mixed heritage (B/BMH)-headed households are more likely to be stuck in TA for a very long time than households as a whole, and much more likely to be in TA for a very long time compared to White-headed households.