The Assist Accommodation Team manages all aspects of the provision of Accommodation by Assist to destitute Asylum Seekers. The support we are able to offer varies from a few nights to up to one year and tries to meet the needs of the individual who often presents to Assist at a time of crises or deteriorating health. Whatever support is offered to someone, the principal aim of providing Accommodation is to prevent destitution where possible and reduce the numbers of people forced to sleep on the streets or move from house to house each night. There are three main types of accommodation that we provide:
- Placement with hosts: Guests are offered a room with a host family. If the house is over 3 miles from the city centre they are also offered the option of a subsidised bus pass to prevent isolation from friends and communities. Some hosts offer accommodation for a week where as others make longer commitments a few months, particularly where the guest begins to feel part of the family.
- Placement in houses: Assist has access to 4 houses and two caravans which are generously provided by local people, church and community groups. Assist funds the utilities for the houses which requires a substantial amount of fundraising. Guests are asked to sign a contract when they move in, where it is emphasised that the accommodation is only available for a year. It is hoped that in this time guests will benefit from the stability provided by having a safe space to stay and it will give them the space and support to make decisions about there situation and how they would like to progress their case I.e. applying for section 4, pursuing a fresh claim with a solicitor, seeking medical help. Guests are visited regularly, by the organisations providing the houses and Assist volunteers also offer support. After 6 months in accommodation Assist accommodation team volunteers begin to work with the guest to help them with these decisions and ensure that a plan is in place for when they have to leave the accommodation 6 months later.
- Emergency Accommodation: Assist has a limited provision for offering emergency accommodation. This is often for 1 or 2 nights and is usually provided to women or those with health problems who present in crisis and would otherwise have been on the streets.
The accommodation team works closely with the co-ordinators of the night shelter who are also able to offer emergency accommodation. The night shelter also provides valuable information about the suitability of guests for placement with hosts while they are on the waiting list.
Past Year Activity
Over the past year we have been continually busy with a constant flow of new referrals for Asylum Seekers in need of accommodation. We have also received many referrals for people entitled to statutory support such as single women with children whom we have not been able to provide with accommodation but have had to invest large amounts of volunteer time in pursuing the relevant agencies to meet their obligations to these women. We continue to need more hosts and 2 of our volunteers designed an excellent poster aimed at attracting new hosts, this was distributed around local libraries, businesses and churches.
We have also recruited 4 new volunteers to our team which has made a significant difference to our ever increasing work load. We have also had the input of a social work student on placement with Assist who worked with the accommodation team. One of our new volunteers is able to be available for both accommodation meetings and Wednesday afternoon drop in session and is therefore providing a much needed link between other assist teams and accommodation as well as being able to interview guests in accommodation or those on the waiting list when they come to collect their welfare payments.
Current Status
Number in accommodation: 14 (in houses) 2 (in caravans) 8 (with hosts)
Number on waiting list: 24 (23 men and 1 woman)
Number of hosts: 24 (some of the hosts can take more than one guest at a time but on average only around half of these hosts are actually available to host at any one time due to holidays, illness etc.)
Number of accommodation team volunteers: 9