The needs of people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds are being addressed by Worthing Borough Council.
Officers have drawn up a strategy to improve the council's understanding of these members of the community and ensure services are provided.
They have taken as their benchmark the Macpherson Inquiry Report, which defines institutionalised racism as: "The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin.
"It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantages minority ethnic people."
A report considered by councillors states black and ethnic minorities represent an estimated 1.6 per cent of Worthing's 100,000-strong population.
Of the 1,219 applications on Worthing's housing register at the end of September, 1.9 per cent were from African, Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi people.
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