Asylum seekers are set to be housed in newly built council homes as part of the Government’s push to end the use of migrant hotels.
Up to 200 local authorities are said to be keen on the scheme, while five councils – Brighton and Hove, Hackney, Peterborough, Thanet, and Powys – having confirmed their interest, according to The i Paper.
The pilot scheme would see additional funding for the building of new properties or for the refurbishment of old, derelict buildings in order to house asylum seekers.
Some council bosses are said to be keen on “renationalising” asylum accommodation, rather than private contractors, and welcome the prospect of adding more properties to their portfolio.
But the decision is expected to be met with fury by those who feel extra money spent on social housing should be for local residents.
Last year, 1.3million people were on a waiting list for social housing in England, the highest number since 2014.
20,560 social homes lost in 2023/2024, primarily through Right to Buy sales and demolitions, while England is expected to sell off eight times as many council homes in 2025/26 as were built in the previous year.
In London, only about five per cent of those on the waiting list have any chance of being rehoused, according to a City Hall inquiry, and in some boroughs, the average wait for a family home is up to 15 years.
Council houses are the Government’s latest ploy, after the use of army barracks, to move asylum seekers out of hotels
|
PAThere are currently 36,000 asylum seekers in hotels and around 71,000 accommodated in the private rented sector – a total of over 100,000.
MORE TO FOLLOW…
