Designing research with, not for

Housing inequalities for racially minoritised communities is not accidental. They are the outcome of system design, policy decisions and exclusion. Through our recent research into housing, ageing and racial inequality, funded by the Centre for Ageing Better, we sought not only to understand these disparities but to model a research process that centres lived experience, collaboration and inclusion throughout.  

This blog reflects on how we approached that work, what we learned from co-production with our design group, and how we carried out interviews and focus groups that reflected community voice and experience. 

Older people from racially minoritised backgrounds are more likely to live in overcrowded, insecure or poor-quality housing; more likely to experience damp, mould and cold homes; and less likely to have their needs recognised in home improvement and adaptation services.  

Through our lived experience interviews, these patterns were confirmed and made tangible: people described years-long waits for repairs, feeling dismissed or disbelieved by services, barriers linked to language or digital exclusion, and a widespread mistrust of services shaped by experiences of racism and neglect.  

To support this, we worked with locally trusted Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic organisations rather than relying on formal systems that may have previously failed communities.  

Through these partnerships, we were able to carry out five in-person group interviews with 40 older participants in London, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. Working with organisations such as Wandsworth Asian Women’s Association, Bristol Black Carers, African Caribbean Care Group, Wandsworth Older People’s Forum and Leeds Black Elders Association gave us the foundations for open and honest conversations about poor housing, health decline and experiences of discrimination. 

Recruiting through trusted community networks reached people unlikely to respond to standard research calls, including those with limited English, those relying on informal support rather than statutory services, and those who have faced racism or discrimination when seeking help.  

Our dedicated design group was central to shaping this project. The group brought together community organisations, housing practitioners and older people from racially minoritised backgrounds. From the outset, the design group helped us define research priorities, ensuring our focus reflected the issues communities considered most urgent. The group helped to refine recruitment strategies so we could reach people who are often excluded from traditional research processes and tested and adapted our interview questions to ensure they were accessible and relevant.  

Throughout the project, the design group also acted as a sounding board for emerging insights, challenging assumptions, validating patterns and offering alternative interpretations we might otherwise have missed.

Crucially, they helped ground our thematic analysis in lived reality. When participants described repair delays or mistrust in services, the design group linked these issues to wider patterns of racial inequality, austerity and gaps in local provision. This collaboration strengthened the research’s credibility and depth, showing how co-production can meaningfully shape both method and outcome.  

Ultimately, the project reaffirmed that meaningful change in housing requires meaningful inclusion. The inequalities faced by older racially minoritised people are structural, but there are practical steps forward. Organisations can: 

• Embed anti-racist principles in housing services Improve ethnicity data collection
• Build lasting partnerships with trusted community organisations
• Simplify access to grants and home improvement support
• Invest in diverse and culturally competent workforces and,
• Co-produce Good Home Hubs with the communities they serve

Reflections from Design Group member, Yasmeen Hussein