Minister appeals for PRS landlords to house Afghan families

The Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, calls upon conscientious landlords to support Afghan families into private rented accommodation.

The Government is hugely proud that around 24,600 people have been brought safely and legally to the UK from Afghanistan since 2021, including through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

This includes brave people who worked for and alongside the UK’s armed forces, serving with distinction and at great personal risk.

We are proud to support them with indefinite leave to remain - a valid immigration status, meaning they have the right to work, the right to rent, access to education and healthcare, and can apply for public funds.

Supporting people from Afghanistan to integrate into communities across the UK and rebuild their lives here is a truly national effort which requires so many people to play their part.

Our soldiers and the Afghan people fought side-by-side for years. They pulled together for us. Now it’s our turn. 

Landlords have a particularly vital role to play in helping our Afghan friends move on from temporary hotels and permanently settle in the UK. That is why I am calling on private landlords up and down the country to support this national effort by offering to rent their properties to Afghan families. 

The Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP

During the early stages of the resettlement scheme, it was necessary to use temporary bridging accommodation to house new arrivals. But their continued use is not fair to taxpayers and it's not fair to Afghans, given the insecurity that this brings.

Over the coming weeks, the government will be continuing to support Afghan families out of bridging hotels and into settled accommodation. 

It is important to support Afghan people and their families so that they can continue to live independently and thrive by contributing and integrating into society. Stable, long-term homes mean children adjust better to new schools, adults can enter the workforce, and families can put down roots in communities.

Many families have already been supported into settled accommodation, but thousands remain in unsuitable hotel bridging accommodation or serviced apartments, at a cost to the taxpayer of around £1million per day.

Not only does this put pressure on the UK hotel market, but also has a knock-on effect on local economies and public services.

There is an urgent need to increase the number of houses and other types of accommodation for these households. Properties of all size and locations are of interest.

Generous government funding of £35 million has been supplied to local authorities across the UK to ease the transition from hotels. Councils can use this funding as flexibly as possible to help Afghans access the private rented sector by working with landlords directly to provide assistance such as rent top-ups, Rent Guarantee, and deposit payments, or to purchase essential items such as white goods.

Other support includes Home Office Liaison Officers, DWP work coaches, council staff and charities, who assist Afghans and their families with access to education and the jobs market. Where an individual or family has settled, councils are also entitled to an Integration Tariff worth £20,520 per person over three years to allow them to provide ongoing integration support.

Private landlords can offer accommodation to potential tenants directly through the Afghanistan Housing Portal or by contacting their local council.

Landlords are vital to the success of settling those who have supported and helped the UK and I want to encourage them to participate in this great national effort.