Chartered Institute of Housing and 130 other groups urge ministers to axe proposal to exempt asylum accommodation from HMO licensing requirements
More than 130 organisations have signed a letter to the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, and the Levelling-Up Secretary, Michael Gove MP, voicing their “extreme concerns” about regulations being considered by Parliament to remove licensing requirements for asylum accommodation.
The letter, co-authored by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London (RAMFEL) and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) calls on the Government to abandon plans that they claim would see asylum-seekers housed in “unsafe accommodation with inadequate protections against fire and overcrowding”.
The CIH revealed that the letter gathered 137 signatories, including Crisis, Shelter, the Refugee Council and Amnesty International.
In a factsheet published last month, the Home Office said the change in law would support the rapid provision of accommodation in local areas.
The statutory instrument will temporarily exempt asylum accommodation from HMO licensing requirements and will apply to properties which begin use as asylum accommodation until 30 June 2024.
The regulations will cease to be in force on 1 July 2026, and after this point all HMOs used as asylum accommodation will require licences.
Gavin Smart, chief executive at CIH said: “The licensing scheme for houses that are multi-occupied are designed to keep people safe, especially safe from fire. They need to apply to everyone, including people seeking sanctuary in the UK. That’s why we’re calling on the government to drop its proposal to exempt asylum accommodation from the HMO licencing arrangements.”
Smart added: “The letter notes that the strain on the asylum accommodation system is due to excessive delays in asylum decision-making and the fact that those seeking asylum are not allowed to work. The letter urges the Home Office to address these problems rather than deny people seeking sanctuary the basic accommodation rights that should be afforded to all tenants.”
Mary Atkinson at the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said: "This government is essentially proposing a two-tier system of housing, with fundamental human rights for people born here but not for those who come here seeking safety. This is outrageous. Everyone deserves a home that is decent and safe – by stripping away these protections for people seeking sanctuary, this Government is putting people’s lives at risk. It must instead act to quickly and fairly process asylum claims, and make sure local authorities are properly resourced to provide safe housing for all who need it.”
Atkinson noted that the letter was sent with a “further, detailed briefing document for all MPs to consider”.
This comes as Waltham Forest Council also claimed that the Government's new Houses in Multiple Occupation (Asylum-Seeker Accommodation)(England) Regulations would reduce council oversight of Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO), risking overcrowding and lower housing standards.
The council said that sharing information about vulnerable people would also be made more difficult and it will therefore be harder for councils to identify those in need of support and provide help.
Lottie Winson
