Housing charity Shelter says there is an urgent need for more affordable family-sized homes after finding that homelessness has risen twice as fast among ethnic minority families compared to the general population since 1997.

The Black and Minority Ethnic Housing Crisis report forms part of Shelter's Million Children Campaign, launched in April this year, which calls for a government commitment to end bad housing for the next generation of children.

Adam Sampson, director of Shelter, said: "For children who are already at serious risk of disadvantage, bad housing can have a devastating effect on their education, health and future prospects."

- www.shelter.org.uk.