Library : Housing Sector Studies - race

Empowering Individuals & Creating Communities – Thai Perspectives on Life in Britain This is one of the Runnymede Trust’s series of ‘Community Studies’, which aim to promote understanding of the diversity within and between different ethnic groups. This study looks at the Thai population in Britain.
The Housing and Neighbourhood Impact of Britain's changing ethnic mix - JRF, Oct 2008 This paper written by John Perry from the Chartered Institute of Housing, considers what recent research tells us about the nature of patterns of immigration, and how they have impacted on policy and practice in housing and neighbourhood renewal. Key points from the paper include:

• Whilst recent migration presents new policy and practice challenges, the nature of long-term communities is also changing. Some are experiencing new types of discrimination, whilst others fulfil aspirations that are similar to those of equivalent white communities;
• Housing is critical to the welfare and integration of new migrants. Most migrants live in the private rented sector, with many enduring poor or insecure accommodation. Policy has not responded to this, and has shifted away from a ‘neighbourhood’ focus in community cohesion;
• Asylum seekers/refugees and many Muslim communities feel discriminated against, and change in policy and language at central government is needed to address this;
• Policy on funding minority groups should recognise the need for services targeted at new migrants and for work targeted at isolated groups within longer-established communities.