Dr Regina Serpa

The report, Ethnicity and Homeownership, highlights stark disparities in housing wealth and tenure. While White British adults are more than twice as likely to own their homes compared to Black African or Arab adults, many minoritised groups remain locked into the private rental sector, facing higher costs and greater insecurity.

Authored by Regina Serpa and Tony Manzi, the evidence review points to differences in earnings, educational attainment, and intergenerational wealth transfers as key drivers of inequality. These factors, the authors argue, are underpinned by structural discrimination and historic patterns of segregation that continue to limit opportunities for racialised minorities.

Research has long documented the disproportionate impact of housing precarity and homelessness on minoritised groups. Shelter Scotland and the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights recently found that Black People and People of Colour (BPoC) in Scotland are 2.5 times more likely to face homelessness than White households.

Although BPoC make up just 15% of homeless applications, they account for 36% of those unlawfully denied temporary accommodation.

Beyond homelessness, affordability remains a pressing issue. A Resolution Foundation study revealed that ethnic minority adults spend a significantly larger share of their income on housing than White households. Bangladeshi, Black Other and Arab households face particularly steep costs, with Arab households spending around 24% of income compared to 11% among White households.

Even groups with relatively higher earnings, such as Indian and Chinese adults, struggle with housing costs that erode living standards.

The JRF report identifies multiple barriers to home ownership:

• Labour market inequalities limiting income stability.
• Difficulty raising deposits due to lower savings.
• Limited intergenerational wealth transfers compared to White households.
• Historic segregation and discrimination restricting access to wealth-building opportunities.

Renters, the report notes, typically pay more per square metre than homeowners, compounding financial pressures for minoritised groups.

Despite growing evidence of a racial wealth gap, the report highlights a lack of UK-specific research into how mortgage lenders, estate agents and other intermediaries may perpetuate inequalities in access to ownership. Policies aimed at extending home ownership to lower-income households have had limited success, with little evaluation of their impact across ethnic groups.

The authors call for further study into the varied experiences of minoritised communities, cautioning against broad generalisations. They argue that lessons from international research could help shape targeted policies to reduce housing wealth inequality in the UK.

The JRF report underscores the urgent need for policymakers to address systemic barriers to home ownership. Without intervention, the racial wealth gap in housing is likely to persist, deepening inequalities across generations.