Khan Sets Out Plans To Help House Afghan Refugees

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced plans to help the city’s councils and housing associations support the arrival of Afghan refugees. Mr Khan said he will expand his new Right to Buy-back fund to help councils purchase homes which could be used to resettle families arriving from Afghanistan. Housing associations are also being encouraged to apply for funding for suitable homes that can be delivered quickly. Read more on the Evening Standard website.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/sadiq-khan-mayor-plans-help-afghan-refugees-london-b952414.html 

Home Office Denies 'Degrading' Conditions In Asylum Housing

The Home Office has denied asylum seekers are being housed in “degrading conditions” and said it is content for private contractors to carry out their own inspections of housing that they manage. The government has also rejected a call for an independent review of people’s experience of living in accommodation assigned to them while they seek refugee status. Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee last year urged the Home Office to improve “unacceptably poor” conditions in some housing for asylum seekers, including dirty living quarters, leaks, damp, broken equipment and poor quality furnishings. Read more on the Civil Service World website.

https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/news/home-office-denies-degrading-conditions-asylum-housing-and-rejects-call-independent

Private Landlords Urged To Provide Quality Housing To Refugees

Thousands of private landlords will need to step forward to provide accommodation for refugees if the Government is to have any hope of resettling up to 20,000 refugees, campaigners have warned. Citizens UK is calling for 10,000 private landlords to provide quality housing for refugees after a U-Turn by David Cameron expanded a Government scheme for resettling vulnerable refugees to take 20,000 in five years. Under the existing Home Office scheme, more than a dozen councils have already made offers to resettle Syrian refugees or have already been doing so. However, Citizens UK is warning that local councils “desperately need landlords” to agree to help house new arrivals. Read more on the Independent website.

Foreign Aid Budget Will Help Councils House Refugees

Funding from the international aid budget is to be given to councils to help them house refugees fleeing Syria, George Osborne has announced. Speaking to the BBC, the Chancellor said there would be a "fundamental rethink" of how the £12bn aid budget is used. It comes after the Local Government Association said Whitehall must meet the costs incurred by councils in supporting the influx of asylum seekers.  Osborne told the Andrew Marr Show that the UK will focus on bringing people directly from refugee camps so as not to encourage more families to attempt the "desperately dangerous" journey across the Mediterranean. He added that there will be "an assessment of what our public services and infrastructure can support".  Read more on the Housing Excellence website.