New report seeks to address barriers facing refugees to secure housing
A new report, Refugee Housing and Homelessness: Scoping Local Authority Approaches, has been published by SOAS researchers Dr Anna Lindley and Dr Charlotte Sanders, examining how local authorities in London are responding to refugee homelessness.
The report presented insights on the difficult transition between asylum accommodation and mainstream housing; from the rapid 28-day eviction timescale for most single adults once they have been granted refugee status, to variations in support provided by local authorities to single people at risk of homelessness. It also highlights how some local authorities and voluntary and community sector organisations are supporting people through this process.
Dr Lindley and Dr Sanders carried out 40 interviews with London local authorities, people granted refugee status and support organisations, to scope the situation and current responses.
The report shines a light on the need for robust and holistic strategies to help people who are recognised as refugees to get on with their lives in the UK.
Key recommendations of the report include expanding language provision, reducing restrictions on working during the asylum process and extending the move-on period for single adults to enable smoother transitions.
The report also highlights the under-resourcing of homelessness prevention; the need to prioritise early intervention (requiring improved coordination between central and local government); and importance of addressing financial barriers and scaling partnerships to ensure fair and practical access to housing.
Dr Sanders said: “Consulting people recently recognised as refugees about the problems they face securing mainstream housing reveals major gaps in navigational and financial support required to address the risk of homelessness in this group, as well as the devastating impact of homelessness on physical and mental health.”
Dr Lindley added: “In 2023, the risk of homelessness among newly granted refugees leaving asylum accommodation increased - and going into winter 2025 it continues to present major challenge. The report shines a light on the need for robust and holistic strategies to help people who are recognised as refugees to get on with their lives in the UK. It offers examples of constructive approaches among local authorities and other organisations to help address the disproportionate barriers which people with newly granted refugee status face in trying to access accommodation.”
The project is funded by the ESRC Creating Opportunities Through Innovation Fellowship Scheme, with project advisors from Greater London Authority, the No Accommodation Network and Refugees in Effective and Active Partnership.
The report is available to read in full via SOAS Housing, Migration & Health Lab; which works to amplify impact-oriented, ethnographic research, investigating how housing and migration policies intersect and affect the health of marginalised communities. The report was launched at City Hall on 13 November in a workshop bringing together local authorities to discuss ways forward.
