The UK government is embarking on a new strategy to tackle the escalating cost and controversy surrounding asylum seeker accommodation. According to a report by The Daily Telegraph, the Home Office is partnering with local councils to acquire and repurpose empty homes, aiming to reduce the country’s reliance on expensive hotels.

The Plan of Action

• Repurposing Empty Properties: The government intends to work with councils to buy or lease a range of properties, including vacant homes, former tower blocks, student residences, and old teacher training colleges. These will be converted into “medium-sized” sites to house dozens of asylum seekers.
• Dual-Purpose Housing: The initiative is designed to serve a dual purpose, bringing some of England’s estimated 700,000 empty homes back into use not only for asylum seekers but also for local homeless individuals.
• Pilot Schemes: The government is exploring pilot schemes that would see councils receive funding to buy or refurbish properties, which would then be leased back to the Home Office for housing migrants. This approach is intended to provide a more sustainable, long-term accommodation model.

Addressing the Hotel Crisis

This new strategy is a direct response to the immense cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels. While the number of migrants in hotels has decreased from its peak in 2023, the cost to taxpayers remains substantial. The government has introduced a “firm-but-fair” policy, warning asylum seekers that they risk losing their taxpayer-funded accommodation and weekly allowance if they refuse to move from hotels to alternative housing.

Potential Changes to Empty Property Rules

In a related move, Housing and Communities Secretary Angela Rayner is reportedly pushing for councils to gain new powers to seize properties that have been left vacant for more than six months, a significant reduction from the current two-year threshold. While her department has dismissed suggestions that these powers are specifically for asylum housing, they would provide councils with a powerful tool to address the empty homes crisis.

With a growing backlog of asylum claims and appeals, the government is under pressure to find sustainable and cost-effective solutions. The new strategy aims to create a more locally led approach to housing supply, reducing competition for affordable housing and potentially delivering new stock in the long term.