Why BME Housing Associations Are Part of the Solution to Black Homelessness

BME National has today submitted evidence to the inquiry into Black homelessness held by the Women and Equalities Committee of the UK Parliament.

Black people in the UK are significantly more likely to experience homelessness and housing insecurity than the population s a whole. This is not accidental, nor is it simply the result of individual circumstances. It is the outcome of long-standing structural inequalities in housing, employment and public services that continue to shape who gets access to safe, secure homes.

Research by Shelter, Crisis and the Runnymede Trust consistently shows that Black households face higher risks of eviction, overcrowding and hidden homelessness. Once in the statutory homelessness system, Black families are less likely to be rehoused through social housing routes, even when they are assessed as being in priority need. These disparities point to systems that may appear race-neutral on the surface, but which produce unequal outcomes in practice.

At BME National, our member organisations see the human impact of these inequalities every day. Black households approaching BME housing associations often describe repeated experiences of discrimination, disbelief or de-prioritisation when seeking help from statutory services. Many report confusing and opaque allocation systems, assessments that fail to recognise cultural and family contexts, and decisions that feel unfair or inconsistent. These lived experiences help explain why mistrust of homelessness services is high in Black communities.

BME housing associations play a crucial role in addressing these challenges. Rooted in the communities we serve, we act as trusted access points to the housing system, providing culturally competent advice, early intervention and advocacy. We can go further than this - to help people navigate complex homelessness assessments, challenge poor decisions and prevent housing crises from escalating.

We are calling for increase in social housing supply, better use of equality assessments and the involvement of people with lived experience in improving services. We believe that Black homelessness is not inevitable — but ending it requires recognising inequality, listening to lived experience and investing in solutions that work.

At BME National we bring essential insight into policy discussions at both a local and national level. Our work demonstrates that tackling Black homelessness requires more than short-term crisis responses. It demands a housing system that is fair by design, transparent in its outcomes and accountable for racial inequities.

For a copy of the full response click here.