Government funding to support temporary accommodation announced for Harborough District

The funding award of £518k to the council from the government’s Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) third round will enable Harborough District Council to purchase a 4-bed family home for an Afghan family that supported UK efforts in Afghanistan and two 2-bed units to be used as temporary accommodation for district residents who are homeless.
 
In line with stipulations of the funding, the 4-bed property will be a new build, with one of the 2-bed properties also being a new build and one being an established property. The occupants of the 4-bed property are likely to have been assessed by the Home Office as having a need to be in the UK under the government’s Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) for those who supported UK efforts in Afghanistan. When the property is no longer needed for this purpose, it will revert to being the council’s own stock which can be used for temporary accommodation.
 
The funding aims to reduce local housing pressures and use of expensive and unsuitable accommodation by providing better quality temporary accommodation to those owed homelessness duties by local authorities. It also aims to reduce temporary accommodation costs for councils by enabling them to grow their own asset base and provide sustainable settled housing to those on Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme so that they can build new lives in the UK, find employment and integrate into communities.
 
Cllr Knight, Cabinet lead for Wellbeing, including housing, said: “This is really positive news. The government funding will enable the council to continue the Harborough District’s long- standing commitment to rehouse people from Afghanistan who have been brought to safety through UK resettlement and relocations schemes whilst also allowing us to accommodate families that are most in need.
 
“The additional properties will also help to alleviate some of the homelessness financial pressures that the council faces, alongside other councils nationally, and will complement the council’s approved capital programme for the acquisition of properties throughout the district.”  
 
According to the government’s gov.uk website, to date approximately 24,600 people affected by the situation in Afghanistan have been brought to safety through UK resettlement and relocation schemes. This includes British Nationals and their families, Afghans who loyally served the UK, and others identified as particularly at-risk, such as campaigners for women’s rights, human rights defenders, Chevening scholars, journalists, judges and LGBT people.