The next Mayor of London should help pay for refugees’ housing deposits to combat a surge in homelessness, a charity has said.
The Refugee Council said there had been a 239 per cent increase in refugee homelessness in just two years across the country, with London being especially affected.
In a new report called Keys to the City, the charity called on City Hall to cover the cost of tenancy deposits for newly-recognised refugees, arguing it is among the most significant barriers to getting a home.
Under current rules, if a person’s asylum claim is granted by the Home Office, they have 28 days in which to “move on” from their Home Office support.
However, campaigners say the inability to work during an asylum claim and a lack of savings mean many new refugees cannot afford a housing deposit in the private rented sector.
Under the proposal, City Hall would agree with the landlord to stump up the deposit, meaning the deposit would be returned to the fund at the end of the tenancy.
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said the current “dysfunctional” system was “causing an entirely avoidable crisis of homelessness and destitution”.
“The process refugees go through when granted status is setting them up to fail from the very start. A mere 28 days to get on their feet and find a private tenancy with no income and no savings is completely unrealistic. This dysfunctional system is causing an entirely avoidable crisis of homelessness and destitution.
“People who have fled unimaginable horrors deserve to be given a fair chance to properly rebuild their lives with dignity when granted refugee status, instead of being left to become homeless.
“The next Mayor of London can and should act to prevent refugee homelessness and destitution by establishing a fund to cover tenancy deposits for new refugees, as well as providing better tenancy support.”
Figures released by London Councils last month revealed that hundreds of refugees faced the prospect of sleeping on the streets in winter temperatures after being evicted from Home Office accommodation.
The data showed 311 refugees were forced to sleep rough across January as a whole after being required to leave accommodation provided under the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) because their claims had been closed.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Once a newly recognised refugee is issued a biometric residence permit, they get 28 days to move-on from asylum accommodation.
“Support is also available through Migrant Help 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 to make sure that individuals have the right individuals they need following an asylum decision, and to help local authorities better plan as we reduce the number of asylum-seekers awaiting a decision.”
According to the latest polls, Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan is on 50 per cent, with his Tory challenger Susan Hall is on 26 per cent.
The Standard has approached both the Khan and Hall campaigns for comment.
