As we see more Community Sponsorship groups investing in properties in which they can welcome a refugee family, one group have navigated this by gathering a group of investors and setting up a Declaration of Trust. This is by no means the easiest route of securing a property, but nonetheless, this is exactly what Paul…
Housing
Useful links | Housing
Addressing housing complaints
As a Community Sponsorship group, you will have gone to great lengths to source suitable housing for a refugee family. You will have invited your Local Authority to view the accommodation for suitability, you may be paying housing rent top-up and you may even have renovated or purchased a property. The refugees you support will…
Adopting an empowerment approach to housing provision
This resource will help your group support refugees to understand their housing obligations, to foster independence and empowerment as renters in the future. The family you support as a Community Sponsorship group will include adults who have lived independent lives. They’ll have been making choices for themselves and their families for a long time. When it…
Experts by Experience: property investment
When it comes to finding a property for a refugee family, it can feel like an insurmountable obstacle to overcome given the lack of affordable housing in the UK. We’ve seen how groups have been creative in meeting this housing challenge; some are able to find compassionate landlords who are willing to rent below the…
Finding accommodation
We know that a significant part of your work in the application process to become a Community Sponsorship group will focus on housing. As part of your sponsor agreement, you will be agreeing to source suitable accommodation for a family for a two year period. The accommodation must: Have a minimum of a two year lease Have…
Food, furniture and household items
Community Sponsorship groups will need to provide equipment, groceries and other basic items in the property ahead of a refugee family’s arrival. Like with anyone, there will be personal and cultural preferences around food and household items, and you will want to strike a balance between giving refugees choices about what is in their home,…
Moving house
After arrival, some families might express an interest in moving elsewhere in the UK. There could be many reasons for this; they may have relatives or friends elsewhere, they might wish to live somewhere more or less quiet than where they currently are, or where there is a larger population of people who speak the…
Preparing accommodation
You will need to obtain accommodation that is of a good and adequate standard and available at a sustainable cost for the family. The Home Office will need to be satisfied that it is suitable, and your Local Authority must be invited to inspect the property. You will have carried out a huge amount of…
Preparing for what happens after 24 months of housing
One of your requirements as a Community Sponsorship group is to source sustainable housing for a refugee family for a two-year period, after which they may need to move to a new home. Even if the family you support is able to stay in their property indefinitely, it’s important they are empowered with the tools…
Providing a tenancy agreement
When you are searching for suitable accommodation for the family you will welcome through Community Sponsorship, you should think through how you will ensure the family feel ownership of the property. Whether you are renting a property directly with a private landlord, or purchasing the property, it is essential that a tenancy agreement is in place…
The group’s role in the accommodation of a refugee family
This resource aims to help your Community Sponsorship group think through some key issues relating to housing for when you will welcome a refugee family into the UK. It may be that you choose to apply for Approval in Principle (AiP) from the Home Office without accommodation, however, it is important to discuss your housing strategy as…
Working with landlords
Community Sponsorship groups across the UK have developed hugely creative ways to find affordable, sustainable accommodation for families arriving through Community Sponsorship. For the most part, we are seeing groups accessing property through private landlords, whether they are connected to the group or not. In this resource, we will look at the role of the landlord in…