Written question WQ88277

Welsh Government officials are currently reviewing the data sets released by the Office for National Statistics on Friday 19th May, to understand the context of the data against the UK figures before we consider any further specific assessment work.

The 2020 report published by the BAME Covid-19 Socioeconomic Subgroup, which was chaired by Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, highlighted existing racial inequalities, which had been exacerbated by the pandemic. These included housing issues, including higher levels of overcrowding in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, housing “deprivation” and higher levels of renting which could lead to less secure accommodation. The report and its recommendations contributed to the development and the publication of the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan in 2022. This includes a specific chapter on housing, including empirical and lived evidence, and actions to support the overall aim that ethnic minority people are able to live in decent, secure and affordable homes which meet the diversity of their needs.

We will also shortly be publishing a Green Paper Call for Evidence consultation, seeking views across Wales, on housing adequacy, rents and affordability. This consultation provides an opportunity to identify and gather further evidence on the reasons why certain groups of people are disproportionately represented in different housing tenures.