Report by Head of Planning, Housing and Health (attached).

The Committee considered a report by the Head of Planning, Housing and Health (circulated previously) regarding Asylum Dispersal.

The Head of Planning, Housing and Health highlighted the following:

·       On the 13 April, 2022, the Minister for Safe and Legal Migration announced that the UK would move to a full asylum dispersal model with immediate effect.

·       There were currently approximately 25,000 – 35,000 individuals seeking accommodation in the UK. 

·       Local authorities would be expected to participate in a new system of full dispersal to allow the Home Office to move from hotels to less expensive and more suitably dispersed accommodation, with work starting immediately. 

·       It was the Government’s intention that each region would be given an allocation of individuals seeking asylum. If an agreement was not reached, then Government could mandate the number of asylum seekers for a Local Authority.

·       The Government was considering rationalising the asylum seeker schemes into a single scheme.

·       Outcomes of the briefing held for South West Chief Executives’ Group on 12 May 2022 as detailed in Appendix A of the report. Chief Executives had been asked to consider a regional response.

·       Clearsprings Ready Homes was the Home Office contracted accommodation provider. Local Authorities could be contacted by this contractor at any time to provide accommodation in their area.

·       There were six main concerns on the impact of asylum dispersal within North Devon as follows:

(a)  Further potential loss of private rented housing accommodation in the local market place.

(b)  As a result of the Government contractor procuring shared accommodation any loss would have a disproportionate impact on poorer people.

(c)  There were already challenges in providing accommodation for those presenting as homeless and the Council was working to meet its statutory duties.  If there was a significant loss of accommodation this would have an impact of securing accommodation for those who were homeless.

(d)  North Devon was a rural area. Those seeking asylum would be traumatised and vulnerable.  The Council had previously experienced difficulties for securing accommodation for other Government resettlement schemes and concern was expressed whether a rural area would be a suitable location.

(e)  Community sensitivity.  The Council already supported the Afghanistan and Ukrainian resettlement schemes.

(f)    The Council had evidence regarding the local community impact over concentration of supported accommodation within an area and the impact on the poorer people.

·       A decision needed to be made whether to pro-actively engagement with the Government Contractor rather than the Government Contractor engaging with the Council.  This would be the most effective way in managing this new responsibility.

·       The Council would have the responsibility for supporting individuals and would receive £3,500 in Year 1. The Government had not clarified the type of support being provided by its Contractor.

The Chief Executive advised that at the South West’s consultation event, the Head of Planning, Housing and Health had raised concerns regarding the lack of any affordable housing in the area. The level of temporary housing accommodation was higher than at any other time previously. The resettlement of Ukrainian refugees had an impact on the availability of accommodation.

In response to questions, the Head of Planning, Housing and Health advised the following:

·       The Government contractor would look an opportunities to procure accommodation whether it was empty or in use and would also include commercial properties. Local Authorities would be a consultees when the unit of accommodation was procured.

·       The 25,000 -35,000 asylum seekers were currently in unsuitable accommodation which was a large cost to the state.

·       Clearsprings had been specifically set up for this purpose.

RESOLVED that the Council pro-actively engage with the Government Contractor Clearsprings Ready Homes on the basis of the following concerns regarding the Asylum Dispersal scheme:

(a)  Further potential loss of private rented housing accommodation in the local market place;

(b)  As a result of the Government contractor procuring shared accommodation any loss would have a disproportionate impact on poorer people;

(c)  There were already challenges in providing accommodation for those presenting as homeless and the Council was working to meet its statutory duties.  If there was a significant loss of accommodation this would have an impact of securing accommodation for those who were homeless;

(d)  North Devon was a rural area. Those seeking asylum would be traumatised and vulnerable.  The Council had previously experienced difficulties for securing accommodation for other Government resettlement schemes and concern was expressed whether a rural area would be a suitable location;

(e)  Community sensitivity.  The Council already supported the Afghanistan and Ukrainian resettlement schemes;

(f)    The Council had evidence regarding the local community impact over concentration of supported accommodation within an area and the impact on the poorer people.