Tackling racism in social housing requires deeds, not words

Our report ‘Anti-racist Wales & Deeds not Words’ makes this painfully clear. While the social housing sector has made important strides – 94% of housing organisations now have anti-racism plans, up from 78% in 2023 – deep inequities remain. 

For instance, the report shows, one in six people of colour reported experiencing racism from colleagues in 2025, double the figure from just two years earlier. Nearly one in five reported racism from tenants or service users.

Staff from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to feel a sense of belonging (81%, compared to 89% of white staff), and only 46% believe promotions are fair, compared to 56% of their white colleagues. 

“One in six people of colour reported experiencing racism from colleagues in 2025, double the figure from just two years earlier”

These figures remind us that progress is uneven, and systemic change requires more than surface-level commitments. This is why Deeds Not Words 2.0 matters. It is more than a pledge, it is a framework for embedding anti-racism in housing through four concrete commitments. 

1. Stand against racism and harmful narratives by enforcing zero tolerance, creating safe reporting systems and challenging the scapegoating of migrants. 

2. Tackle racial disparities in housing conditions by addressing inequities in repairs, maintenance, homelessness and overcrowding. In fact, the report shows that 68% of housing organisations now investigate overcrowding among ethnic minority tenants – a marked improvement, but still not a universal fact.

3. Advance fair representation through inclusive recruitment, mentoring and pathways for ethnic minority staff into leadership roles. Ethnic minority representation in social housing senior management has risen from 2.9% in 2023 to 5% in 2025, but this still falls short of reflecting Wales’s 6.3% ethnic minority population. 

4. Use data and engagement to expose inequalities, track progress and centre lived experience in shaping housing services. Only half of all housing organisations in Wales work directly with ethnic minority groups in their communities, showing that more needs to be done. 

Racism in housing is not theoretical, it is lived. It shows up in who gets housed, who waits longest for repairs, who endures damp and mould and who is denied dignity.

The pledge calls on the Welsh government, local authorities, private landlords, homelessness organisations and all housing stakeholders to move beyond rhetoric and deliver measurable, accountable change. 

“Only half of all housing organisations in Wales work directly with ethnic minority groups in their communities, showing that more needs to be done”

For Wales to truly become a Nation of Sanctuary and meet its ambition of becoming an anti-racist nation by 2030, the housing sector must lead with practical actions to drive impactful and long-lasting change.

The sector needs to be courageous, honest and transparent. Signing up to Deeds Not Words 2.0 is a step in the right direction, because it shows a willingness to listen, to learn, and most importantly, to act. 

Don’t let another person experience what I did. Let’s commit to dismantling housing inequalities now – together. 

Evelyn James, anti-racism manager, Tai Pawb