Families move into accommodation secured for those fleeing war
Published: 8 August 2023
The first families have been housed in Exeter with funding secured from the Government to support those who have fled war and conflict.
In April the Council announced it had secured funding from the Government’s Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) scheme to purchase eight family-sized homes.
The LAHF is designed to reduce extra pressures on housing and homelessness services so they can continue to provide for local households with housing needs – it means there is no negative impacts on existing housing waiting lists.
The fund is designed to provide accommodation for families of those who resettled in the UK after supporting the UK’s armed forces in Afghanistan. It also provides support for Ukrainian refugees at risk of homelessness.
The first two properties have now been occupied by Afghan families who have been living in bridging hotels in Exeter for the past 18 months, and have been working or training since resettling in the UK.
The UK formally opened the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) in January 2022, to prioritise those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law.
Bindu Arjoon, Chief Executive of Exeter City Council, said: “The funding we secured from Government meant Exeter is able to play its part in helping those families in our community who have been welcomed by our citizens and whose lives have been impacted by war and conflict.
“It’s a positive step that the first families have now been able to move out of hotel accommodation into properties purchased under this initiative.”
In time the extra housing purchased in Exeter will create a lasting legacy for local communities by providing a new and permanent supply of accommodation to help address local housing and homelessness pressures in the city.
Cllr Martin Pearce, Lead Councillor for Communities and Homeless Prevention, said: “We very much hope that by moving into this accommodation the families involved will be able to fully integrate into the local community and the city as a whole.
“Securing this accommodation has reduced pressures on our Housing Needs and Homelessness service and enabled the Council to continue to provide for local households with housing needs.”