Inside Housing – Home – Refugees who become homeless in London after eviction from Home Office accommodation up 39%

Boroughs have also called for a halt to cessations of asylum support and evictions during the whole period of any SWEP activations.
London Councils is asking the government to fund a local wraparound support model that can be rolled out in all boroughs, and to increase enhanced rough-sleeping prevention grant funding.
It said that while it was positive that applicants were receiving decisions on their asylum cases, boroughs said there needed to be adequate housing arrangements in place to address the increase in demand.
It said closer coordination between the Home Office and councils was “essential” for securing appropriate housing, preventing homelessness and ensuring those granted asylum have the best opportunity to settle in the UK.
Grace Williams, London Councils’ executive member for communities, said: “No one wants to see refugees becoming homeless after leaving Home Office accommodation, but this is happening at an alarming rate across the capital.
“Boroughs are deeply concerned by the situation, which will only get more dangerous as winter sets in.
“Those granted asylum need adequate support for settling in the UK, yet too often are forced into sleeping rough on the streets.
“At a time when London already faces enormous and unsustainable homelessness pressures, the government urgently needs to prevent this happening.”
She said a longer move-on period for those leaving Home Office accommodation was “crucial”, along with funding for the councils whose local services provide support for those in need.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring asylum claims are considered without unnecessary delays.
“Once someone is informed that their asylum claim has been granted, they get at least 28 days notice to move on from their asylum accommodation.
“Support is offered to newly recognised refugees by Migrant Help [a charity] and their partners, which includes advice on how to access Universal Credit, the labour market and where to get assistance with housing.
“We are working with local authorities to help communities manage the impact of asylum decisions as the legacy backlog reduces.”



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