Housing, Planning, Construction & Transport

Background / Overview – Scotland

Background / Overview – UK

Housing

Data from the English Housing Survey indicates that 70% of White British households owned their own homes – the highest percentage out of all ethnic groups, followed by households in the Indian ethnic group (68%). 14% of households in the Mixed White and Black African ethnic group owned their own homes – the lowest percentage out of all ethnic groups, followed by households in the Black Other ethnic group (16%).

Tables on homelessness in the year ending in March 2023, 298,430 households in England qualified for help from their local authority for homelessness – up by 18,960 (6.8%) on the previous year. 67.2% of ‘lead applicants’ (people making homeless applications on behalf of households) were white, 10.2% were black, and 6.4% were Asian.

English Housing Survey recorded that in the 2 years to March 2023, 17% of households in England lived in social housing – this means they rented their home from a local authority or housing association. The highest percentage of households renting social housing were from the Black Caribbean (48%), Mixed White and Black Caribbean (41%), and Bangladeshi (40%) ethnic groups.

The housing survey also showed that in the 3 years to March 2023, an average of 3% of households in England were overcrowded – this means they had fewer bedrooms than they needed to avoid sharing. Out of all ethnic groups, the highest rates of overcrowding were in households in the Arab (25%), Bangladeshi (18%), Black African (16%), and Mixed White and Black African (16%) groups. In the 2 years to March 2023, an average of 4% of households in England had damp in at least one room. 22% of Mixed White and Black Caribbean households had a problem with damp, followed by 14% of Black African households, and 8% of households in both the Pakistani and Black Caribbean ethnic groups. 4% of White British households lived in a home with damp.

Strategy Policy, Legislation

Listed Authorities

Race Equality Framework (REF)

Housing, Planning, Construction & Transport – Race Equality Framework

Link	Description
REF 11: Participation and Representation – Proprtionate Influence in Planning	Minority ethnic people have a fair and proportionate influence on community planning
REF 11a: Embed Participation in Planning	Further encourage Community Planning Partnerships to embed effective minority ethnic community participation as part of good community planning; and to consider the needs, circumstances and aspirations of minority ethnic communities in the priorities they set for improving local outcomes and tackling inequalities in their area and in their actions to deliver improvement on these priorities.
REF 11b: Review Role of Third-Sector in Planning	Review the role of third sector interfaces in linking minority ethnic community groups into community planning structures, with recommendations for improvements based on the findings of the review, to inform future development
REF 11c: Develop Resources	Work with stakeholders with expertise in race equality and community engagement to develop a relevant resource to sit alongside the National Standards for Community Engagement which addresses the issues raised in the framework development process around public sector engagement with minority ethnic communities
REF 11d: develop Statuatory Guidance for the Community Empowerment Act	Work with stakeholders and minority ethnic communities to develop the statutory guidance for Participation Requests ready for the Community Empowerment Act coming into force in late summer 2016
REF 30: Health & Home – Reduce Housing Inequality	Minority ethnic communities experience fewer housing inequalities
REF 30a: Work with Partners to Identify Issues Using Data	Work in partnership with the Scottish Housing Regulator and other stakeholders to make the best use of available housing data and research to identify issues affecting minority ethnic communities and promote race equality
REF 30b: Strengthen Participation and Engagement in the Review of the Scottish Social Housing Charter	Strengthen minority ethnic tenant participation and influence in the housing sector by enabling effective engagement with minority ethnic communities to ensure that their experiences and views are reflected in the review of the Scottish Social Housing Charter

Immediate Priorities Plan (IPP)

Housing, Planning, Construction & Transport – IPP

Link	Description
IPP – SIR 13: Short-Term Actions – Housing and Overcrowding:	The Scottish Government must take action with local authorities to mitigate the risk of poor accommodation or overcrowding in some minority ethnic groups, such as migrant workers, asylum seekers and Gypsy Travellers. Housing conditions have been suggested as one of the possible explanations for the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on BME groups. In particular, the low percentage of minority ethnic people in social housing should be looked at and addressed as set out in a recent report. The report also highlights the various housing and homeless issues facing minority ethnic groups and suggests a number of recommendations, including the need to have reliable and up-to-date data and the need to close evidence gaps and identify solutions.

Link

Description

IPP – SIR 13: Short-Term Actions – Housing and Overcrowding:

The Scottish Government must take action with local authorities to mitigate the risk of poor accommodation or overcrowding in some minority ethnic groups, such as migrant workers, asylum seekers and Gypsy Travellers. Housing conditions have been suggested as one of the possible explanations for the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on BME groups. In particular, the low percentage of minority ethnic people in social housing should be looked at and addressed as set out in a recent report. The report also highlights the various housing and homeless issues facing minority ethnic groups and suggests a number of recommendations, including the need to have reliable and up-to-date data and the need to close evidence gaps and identify solutions.

Other Accountability Mechanisms

Equity Reports

Mainstreaming Report

Housing, Planning, Construction & Transport – Mainstreaming Report – 2023 to 2025

Link	Description
Equality Outcomes 2023 to 2025: Transport	Progress has been made in reducing inequalities in transport and advancing equality of opportunity, with ongoing work helping to shape a more inclusive and accessible system. This is set out in detail in the fourth NTS Delivery Plan, which was published on 19 December 2024; some of these achievements are highlighted below. Over 2.3 million people in Scotland now benefit from free bus travel, with young people making over 190 million free journeys since January 2022. The Scottish Government remains committed to concessionary travel, ensuring continued eligibility while exploring better targeting of public funds. Efforts focus on improving access to free travel for children and promoting responsible usage. A new bus services improvement plan is being developed to enhance service stability. Major rail developments include the reopening of Levenmouth railway, a £116 million investment with two fully accessible stations and improved active travel connections. The ScotRail Peak Fares Removal Pilot led to a year-long season ticket discount and permanent Flexipass changes. Accessibility improvements continue, including step-free access at Carstairs and ongoing feasibility work for other stations. Research into the safety of women and girls has led to plans for expanding ScotRail’s Travel Safe Team. Work on the Islands Connectivity Plan continues, shaping long-term ferry service improvements. Findings from the 2024 public consultation and initial response to the consultation report have been published. The MV Glen Sannox was deployed in January 2025, with further vessels under construction. Procurement for small new vessels is progressing, and future ferry fares policy will be outlined following consultation. A review of deck space reservations and a pilot for healthcare worker priority access are also underway. The Scottish Government continues to support the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) in advocating for accessible transport. The National Transport Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation report provides key insights into progress, reinforcing the need to balance ambition with practical delivery to improve accessibility and equality in transport.

Link

Description

Equality Outcomes 2023 to 2025: Transport

Progress has been made in reducing inequalities in transport and advancing equality of opportunity, with ongoing work helping to shape a more inclusive and accessible system. This is set out in detail in the fourth NTS Delivery Plan, which was published on 19 December 2024; some of these achievements are highlighted below. Over 2.3 million people in Scotland now benefit from free bus travel, with young people making over 190 million free journeys since January 2022. The Scottish Government remains committed to concessionary travel, ensuring continued eligibility while exploring better targeting of public funds. Efforts focus on improving access to free travel for children and promoting responsible usage. A new bus services improvement plan is being developed to enhance service stability. Major rail developments include the reopening of Levenmouth railway, a £116 million investment with two fully accessible stations and improved active travel connections. The ScotRail Peak Fares Removal Pilot led to a year-long season ticket discount and permanent Flexipass changes. Accessibility improvements continue, including step-free access at Carstairs and ongoing feasibility work for other stations. Research into the safety of women and girls has led to plans for expanding ScotRail’s Travel Safe Team. Work on the Islands Connectivity Plan continues, shaping long-term ferry service improvements. Findings from the 2024 public consultation and initial response to the consultation report have been published. The MV Glen Sannox was deployed in January 2025, with further vessels under construction. Procurement for small new vessels is progressing, and future ferry fares policy will be outlined following consultation. A review of deck space reservations and a pilot for healthcare worker priority access are also underway. The Scottish Government continues to support the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) in advocating for accessible transport. The National Transport Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation report provides key insights into progress, reinforcing the need to balance ambition with practical delivery to improve accessibility and equality in transport.

Periodic Report Recommendations

Housing, Planning, Construction & Transport – Periodic Report Recommendation

Link	Description
Periodic Report Recommendation 17 and 18: Housing and Homelessness	Housing and homelessness – 17: The Committee recommends that the State party adopt all measures necessary to ensure the availability of affordable and adequate housing, including social housing, for ethnic minority households and to tackle the persistent inequalities in housing that affect them. Housing and Homelessness 18: Recalling its general recommendation No. 27 (2000) on discrimination against Roma and its previous concluding observations,8 the Committee recommends that the State party, including the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, ensure the provision of adequate and culturally appropriate accommodation for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities and create more sites and stopping places for these communities. It also recommends that the State party repeal or review legislative or policy measures that have an adverse impact on their lifestyle, such as section 83 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which criminalizes unauthorized encampments in England and Wales, and the Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) Order 2005.

Link

Description

Periodic Report Recommendation 17 and 18: Housing and Homelessness

Housing and homelessness – 17: The Committee recommends that the State party adopt all measures necessary to ensure the availability of affordable and adequate housing, including social housing, for ethnic minority households and to tackle the persistent inequalities in housing that affect them. Housing and Homelessness 18: Recalling its general recommendation No. 27 (2000) on discrimination against Roma and its previous concluding observations,8 the Committee recommends that the State party, including the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, ensure the provision of adequate and culturally appropriate accommodation for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities and create more sites and stopping places for these communities. It also recommends that the State party repeal or review legislative or policy measures that have an adverse impact on their lifestyle, such as section 83 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which criminalizes unauthorized encampments in England and Wales, and the Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) Order 2005.

Dr Addy's – Scottish Anti-Racism Resource Library (ARRL)