‘Housing crisis hits minorities hardest’
03 Oct 2013 New research from University of Manchester sociologists has revealed a deep divide in who gets the best access to the most desirable housing in England and Wales. By analysing Census data from 1991 to 2011, Drs Nissa Finney and Bethan Harries say the nation's severe rise in insecure housing is hitting ethnic minority groups hardest. The research was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation The trend, argue the researchers based at the University's Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) , shows minorities are much more likely to live in insecure, substandard private rented accommodation. The findings rebut arguments, prevalent in sections of the media and politics, that ethnic minorities have easier access to more stable and desirable rental properties. The divide, find the team, is also geographical: Black Caribbean people living outside London are more likely to live in privately rented accommodation than the White British - as are 'White Other' groups such as Romani and East Europeans in the countryside. And young people from ethnic minority groups are hit even harder, find the researchers, because they are less able to enjoy the security of home ownership, creating a 'generation rent'. Dr Finney said: "Private renting can offer flexibility which is desirable for some people in some circumstances.
