Obtaining dependable data on black and minority ethnic (BME) housing needs is difficult. There is national evidence, however, that people from black, minority ethnic and refugee (BMER) backgrounds find it difficult to access services, and are less likely to be aware of services and housing options available to them (Netto et al., 2001). This is a particular problem for more vulnerable individuals, such as older people, homeless people and victims of domestic violence. BMER women in particular are relatively invisible to the Supporting People guidance measures because of lack of monitoring of gender and ethnicity (Thiara and Hussain, 2005). The position of BMER women escaping domestic violence is exacerbated by barriers to reporting abuse, which also include protecting family honour and normalising and accepting violence. There is also a lack of specialist refuge spaces available for women, and immigration legislation denies women with insecure status access to public funds. We therefore know very little nationally about the number of women from BMER communities becoming homeless as a result of domestic violence.