Housing Policy and Ethnic Group

The pitfalls and promise of ethnic group statistics

Professor Richard Tomlins, Professor of Race, Diversity and Housing, Dept of Public Policy, De Montfort University

Aims•The housing data available

•Potential uses

•Definitions of BME

•Strengths and weaknesses

Decide what you want!

The housing data available • http://www.statistics.gov.uk/

• 2001 Census

• Reports

• Key statistics

• Standard area statistics table finder

• Commissioned output

• UK at a glance

Commissioned tables• Housing deprivation indicator by ethnic group

• Sole use of toilet/bath by ethnic group

• Residents of hostels for the homeless by sex and ethnic group

• Persons sleeping rough by sex and ethnic group

• Sex and age and provision of care by ethnic group

• Car/van by ethnic group

• Central heating by ethnic group

• Sex and socio-economic classification (detailed level) by religion

Key needs indicators• Type of accommodation

• Self contained

• Use of rooms

• Bath/shower

• Toilet

• Floor level

• Central heating

• Cars and vans

Key needs indicators (2)• Extended family

• Location

• Country of birth

• Health

• Care

• Mobility

• Education

• Employment

• Type of work

• Travel

Typical projects

• Race equality impact assessments

• Race equality policy implementation

• Housing needs’ studies

The promise

More reliable and responsive policy making

GIS • Nature of housing stock and condition

• Individual needs?

• Relationship between the housing stock and other measures of need

• Allocation of capital resources and guiding investment decisions

• Match prospective tenants with appropriate properties

• Bottom up?

The misuse of existing data

•Lack of monitoring

•Lack of application

•Lack of consultation

The pitfalls• Definition of BME

• Coverage

• Language

• Depth of data

Lessons from Westminster• Asylum seekers

• Illegal stayers

• Language barriers

• High mobility

• Gates and concierges

• HMOs

• Students and foreign residents

• Young males

• Imputation

One final lesson.....

One final lesson.....

the Jedi

Contacts: Professor Richard TomlinsDept of Public PolicyFaculty of Business and LawDe Montfort UniversityThe GatewayLeicester, LE1 9BH Tel: 0116 257 7743, Mobile: 07941 129409Fax: 024 7667 2332, Email: richard@tomlins97.fsnet.co.uk