A new report from the Refugee Council highlights the challenges refugees face when seeking housing after being granted refugee protection.
Why is the process problematic?
- Refugees have just 28 days to find secure housing before risking eviction.
- Newly recognized refugees struggle to find homes in the private rental sector.
- The report shows a 239% increase in refugees needing homelessness support after being evicted from asylum accommodation.
What do the findings reveal?
- 97% of refugees approaching the service were homeless, with 40% being street homeless in 2023.
- The CEO of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, describes the system as dysfunctional and leading to homelessness and destitution.
What are the proposed solutions?
- Establishing a refugee tenancy deposit fund
- Providing tenancy training and support for new refugees
- Extending the move-on period to at least 56 days
- Implementing a 9-month grace period on the benefit cap for new refugees
- Issuing all documentation to refugees on the same day
The report calls on the next Mayor of London and the Government to address the crisis of homelessness and destitution among newly recognized refugees by taking concrete actions.
Source: www.refugeecouncil.org.uk