Havering Council secures £6m funding for housing refugees

Havering Council’s bid for additional funding to house refugees has been approved by the Mayor of London.  

Councillor Paul McGeary, cabinet member for housing, announced the council had secured £6million towards accommodating refugees during a council meeting on Wednesday (July 12).

He said the funds will be utilised to purchase properties to provide for both Ukrainian and Afghan refugees who are currently placed into hotels.

This, he said, will reduce the cost of providing temporary accommodation in the council’s general fund. After three years, these properties will reportedly revert back to the council for being used as social housing.

Read More: Havering in £6.3m bid to London mayor for housing refugees

According to the council, the borough currently hosts 124 Ukrainian families who are living either in temporary accommodation or with sponsor families.

A report labelled the current housing solutions as “ineffective” for refugee cohorts as private rented accommodation was “unaffordable”.

Hotel and hostel accommodation, it said, was not a suitable long-term solution even with government support packages.

It added that if the council manages to get these additional funds from the mayor, it plans to contribute a further £10m to buy 50 homes for the purpose.

The funding is a part of the mayor’s refugee housing scheme, launched in April.