Housing, place and community

Abstract

Ethnic minority groups in Britain are subject to material deprivation in residential experience, yet succeed in developing strong local attachment, and enriching this during times of crisis.• Spatial pressure in households is more prevalent among all ethnic minority groups compared to White British people. It is a notable concern for three-generation households and particularly for Pakistani and Roma groups. • Rates of living in detached housing are highest for White British, Arab, White Irish and Indian groups, at three times the rate of Black African, Black Caribbean and Bangladeshi groups, who tend to live in typically smaller types of accommodation, such as flats/ apartments and terraced housing. • The prevalence of caravan/ mobile home accommodation for Gypsy/ Traveller and Roma, which is largely invisible in other datasets, is evident in the Evidence for Equality National Survey (EVENS) results. • Ethnic minorities are disadvantaged compared to the White British group in terms of access to outdoor space at home. The White British group have the highest rates of access to outdoor space at their property. Arab, Chinese and Other Black groups are four times more likely than the White British group to be without outdoor space at home. • Residential mobility during the pandemic, which could indicate housing precarity, was considerably higher for Roma, Jewish, Other White, Indian, Mixed White and Asian, and Other Asian groups compared to the White British group, even when considering the different age structures of the ethnic groups. • All ethnic groups, apart from Roma, feel a strong sense of belonging to their local area. Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian people are significantly more likely to report positive local belonging than White British people. For all ethnic groups apart from Roma, the majority of those who reported a change in belonging during the pandemic experienced increased attachment to the local area.