Housing refugees properly benefits everyone in society – here’s how

Amidst the fury and debate about asylum hotels and the refugee framework in general, discussion about cascading refugee homelessness has struggled to break through. This is a worrying development – regardless of current anger and potential reform, most people would accept a working asylum system as an important moral duty of richer nations. And yet homelessness among refugees (meaning those who’ve had claims accepted and are no longer asylum seekers) is skyrocketing.

For newly recognised refugees, the relief of being granted permission to stay in the UK is quickly overshadowed by the challenges of establishing a new life. Many find themselves evicted from asylum accommodation into homelessness or insecure living arrangements, such as hostels or sofa surfing.

Refugee homelessness increased by 251% in 2023-2024 compared to the previous year, according to official government statistics, largely due to the government clearing parts of the asylum backlog quickly and the wider housing crisis afflicting the UK.

Read more:

• This innovative scheme uses spare rooms to house homeless refugees after Home Office backlog blitz
• Tragic death of a Blackpool man sleeping in a tent dragged into asylum hotel row: ‘It’s entirely wrong’
• Cost of housing homeless people in temporary accommodation soars to £2.8bn

So far this year, 3,200 households have been owed homelessness relief duties after leaving Home Office accommodation between January and March 2025, in England alone. Alarmingly, the numbers are only expected to rise, as the sector warns of a surge of refugees facing homelessness and destitution. This follows the government’s decision to revert to a 28-day move-on period for single adults to leave Home Office accommodation once receiving their status.

The government had temporarily extended the timeframe to 56 days, following high rates of refugee homelessness last winter, and a similar crisis is looming. Frontline charities assisting refugees are arguing that the extension served as a lifeline for new refugees, allowing them enough time to secure housing, open bank accounts and gain access to employment and welfare support.

The government’s focus is on reducing the cost of asylum accommodation, and it believes the extra weeks previously afforded to residents do not guarantee significant enough changes. But by risking an increase in homelessness, already thinly stretched local authorities are left to pick up the pieces. Ultimately, the cost of alleviating homelessness is higher than ensuring that coordinated move-on, ideally pairing housing with employment support, is in place.

Refugees face long waits for social housing, as they are often not given priority need nor granted a local connection. The private rented sector is increasingly unaffordable as high rent costs typically exceed benefit payments. Refugees also often experience prejudice and discrimination from landlords, preventing them from securing rental accommodation.

All too often, refugees find themselves with no option but to resort to unsafe or exploitative housing arrangements, including unregulated, overcrowded, or substandard accommodation. Many fall victim to unscrupulous landlords who take advantage of their desperation, along with their lack of knowledge about tenancy rights and language barriers.

But there are housing models that can deliver more secure, and in the long term, far more cost-effective arrangements. At Commonweal we are collaborating with HAPANI – Horn of Africa People’s Aid Northern Ireland – to deliver their Retreat Housing model. This project provides safe, stable accommodation and integration support for newly recognised refugees from the Horn of Africa residing in Belfast.

Stable housing goes beyond providing refugees with a roof over their heads – it enables them to participate in community life, gain employment and contribute to society. Those protesting the asylum system must surely want these outcomes as much as anyone – so that those in need of help can start contributing to the community as quickly as possible.

Our partners at HAPANI regularly assist refugee families placed in temporary accommodation after falling into homelessness, often miles away from the communities they established roots. For all families in temporary accommodation across the UK, frequent relocations disrupt education for the children and make it difficult for the parents to secure employment. Research shows that the housing instability refugees face, including frequent moves and periods of homelessness, can lead to mental ill-health.

Despite many refugees having professional qualifications, they encounter significant difficulties securing job opportunities without a fixed address. They can find themselves in a catch-22: landlords require proof of stable income, while employers may be reluctant to employ those without settled accommodation. A stable housing setting – not necessarily meant to be a permanent solution (but one without an eviction date) – can make the difference here.

Successful integration hinges on access to work and education, and building community networks. Responding to the challenges described above, the Retreat Housing project adopts a community-led approach to support settlement and integration within the community. Such support includes assistance with employment, language training, access to mental health care, help with maintaining tenancies and navigating benefits.

It is no secret that the country’s chronic shortage of affordable homes, in both the social and private sectors, creates fierce competition for limited supply. As refugees face increasing hostility, solutions to address homelessness among newly recognised refugees (those granted permission to build a life in the UK) must be part of the conversation. Investing in housing solutions for refugees will yield positive long-term benefits for society, including reduced future costs for public services.

Lauren Aronin is a communications officer at Commonweal Housing.

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