Council homes set to be offered to refugees
SYRIAN refugees will be offered council houses in future if no homes are available in the private rental sector.
In April 2016 Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council agreed to take part in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (SVPRS).
However, the authority has found it difficult securing suitable properties to house people.
To ensure the five-year commitment is honoured the council looks set to approve a change in policy and allow the use of two council, or housing association properties.
Two families per year, over the five years up to a total of 50 people are included in the scheme. Rent costs are met by housing benefit, while Home Office funding supports the family with accessing support services and start-up costs.
A report to the full council said while the council had agreed to put the Syrians in private rented accommodation this had proved problematical.
Despite 20 lettings agents being approached last year both as a general enquiry and in response to specific advertisements, none of the discussions led to any property being located for the programme.
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council run a modest private sector housing scheme of 7 properties.
A three bedroomed house and a two bedroomed house in this scheme recently became vacant and enabled the council to meet its obligation to house two families in 2017, with a flight arriving in early December.
The report author said: “However this does not provide a reliable solution going forward. It has therefore become clear that if the council is to meet its obligations to the SVPRS over the next four years, it will be necessary to seek alternative solutions to the private rented sector for use for the SVPRS.
“Possible alternatives include - use of council housing for the two fami- lies each year who will be housed in the borough. Use of properties owned by registered providers - housing associations.
“Purchase of properties on the open market by an interest group for use in the SVPRS. This option has been investigated with Green Pastures, a Christian organisation who would buy properties and lease them back to the council, and with a private individual who is working with a volunteer refugee support group, but neither initiative has been successful. The timing of any purchase is difficult to co-ordinate with the arrivals schedules.
“Withdrawal from the SVPRS scheme in future years due to the lack of suitable available accommodation.
“The preferred option remains the use of private rented sector properties for housing families under the SVPRS programme. However where this is not possible, the second option is use of social/affordable housing for the resettlement of the Syrian families, either a council property or a registered provider property.”