Where will the refugees coming to the UK live?

[Meeklynamechanged]

In no way a goady thread, I fully support helping the people fleeing such horrid circumstances, but genuine question.. where will they live? Where do we put people?

Where I live we have people waiting 10 years for a council property. Most areas around the UK have a huge deficit in available housing that doesn't meet demand.

With so many families stuck in overcrowded hostels and B&B's, families of 5 in 1 bed flats, I can't see where all of the required the housing will come from?

@Warmduscher

I'd also ask, if people are willing to give up their second bedroom to refugees, how about giving it up to people on the wait lists for housing?

Are you saying there’s a list of people who are on the council housing list but actually would be happy with having their whole family in one bedroom, sharing a kitchen, bathroom etc in someone else’s house? I had no idea there was such a thing, nor such people happy to give up their place on the list for permanent housing of their own, to share with strangers.

Considering you acknowledge British families would not agree to living like this, why on earth do you think Afghan families would? It's an incredibly racist notion that it's ok for an Afghan family to live 5 to a 1-bed house but not a British family.

And to the pp, it's a perfectly acceptable question to ask about whether most of the refugees will be males. I'm sure many women would not be comfortable with an unknown male - of any nationality - living in their spare room.

Looking at the interior pic of the plane that took off, it did indeed to be at least 80% males, which is in itself concerning considering women in Afghanistan are much more at risk.

@Bunnyfuller

How about we look more closely at those in the council houses that originally got them due to circumstances which are no longer relevant, yet they’re still taking up accommodation.

Yes, great idea. Perfect way of creating resentment against people who suddenly find themselves in a foreign country after escaping God knows what in their own.

Where I a, they generally live in the accommodation those on the council housing list deem not good enough for them to accept.

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia

The Hong Kong British Overseas National passport holders are indeed very much highly educated to at least high level university graduate level and entrepreneurial. These people currently reside in a very advanced international trading hotspot that has seen unfortunate if foreseeable imposed legal changes. They are wealth creators and doers and so would be highly desirable to assist their next destination home be it UK, Canada or elsewhere. They add a bonus to local businesses not a drain on society. Many are already cash buyers in core central London! They don’t need charity!

Agree. Hong Kongers coming to UK would be them doing a service to this country rather than the other way around.

It is 20 000 people over 5 years isn't it? I think we can manage to find space for them. More than that number will leave the UK in that time.

@mustlovegin

I think we older folk can say goodbye to a triple lock pension now and for evermore. Before anyone jumps down my throat, this will cause hardship to many

@percheron67 aid should be provided only after we make sure there is/and will be sufficient funding for fellow UK nationals in need. Not a popular opinion on MN though

There is, of course, sufficient funding for UK citizens in need. Austerity is government policy. Or do we imagine Boris and the boys are just longing to look after our fellow citizens, but hamstrung by adding temporary support for a few thousand people? I mean, selling Windsor palace or whatever actually would be a full solution to all our woes if that was the only problem.

If the triple lock isn’t amended it’s anticipated that pensioners will receive an 8% rise. Compared to the negligible one awarded to NHS workers etc.

I presume private rented as well, there are some LA’s that have details of private landlords that rent to refugees, UC claimants and low income families

Madness to offer up a spare room to a stranger, of whom you know nothing about. Would people do this for a random person off the streets here in the UK? Probably not, so why do it for a refugee? I wouldn’t risk my family’s safety by inviting a stranger to live in my home.

I suspect a lot will end up in the old hotels and care homes on the coast...margate etc possibly...I used to do book keeping for 3 men...irish, polish ...they had a company..they were buying hundreds of houses on the coast to let back to the councils for refugees....at least these houses were refurbished...most places as stated are vile and grim...already seaside towns have refugees wandering around all day...
Also giving a room to a refugee is not always straightforward...I had a gay Ukrianian guy in my house for a few months...he eventualy went to live in Poland...he was a heavy drinker and smoker and started to gamble so alerted the charity and they arranged his move to Poland as he had family there....I heard he now has a job and doing ok.

Can we just save a few lives first and worry about where we’re going to put them up when they get here?

What’s concerning you? House prices? School places?

You do know that the Afghan war has killed 45000 civilians and lots more going to die. The post might not have meant to sound goady but it definitely smacks of nimbyism.

@Livelovebehappy

Madness to offer up a spare room to a stranger, of whom you know nothing about. Would people do this for a random person off the streets here in the UK? Probably not, so why do it for a refugee? I wouldn’t risk my family’s safety by inviting a stranger to live in my home.

Good thing we’re all different, isn’t it? We’d do it.

We're in SE England and I saw a Facebook post from our council today asking for private landlords with 2-4 bed properties to get in touch urgently.

Bunnyfuller

How about we look more closely at those in the council houses that originally got them due to circumstances which are no longer relevant, yet they’re still taking up accommodation.

Yes, great idea. Perfect way of creating resentment against people who suddenly find themselves in a foreign country after escaping God knows what in their own.

Agree - no need, and shouldn't change conditions for people in their own homes. And refugees need to integrate into communities - recipe for disaster.

We just aren't talking about numbers that need radical measures. No palaces, second homes etc will be affected by these poor refugees.

@gmwardy

I presume private rented as well, there are some LA’s that have details of private landlords that rent to refugees, UC claimants and low income families

There’s a big shortage of private rentals in my area, and even more so for those who have no regular income/job. Landlords are being really careful who they rent to.

@ViciousJackdaw

Many hotels/B&Bs will have closed thanks to the pandemic. I'm sure there are thousands of rooms going begging. It could be a good idea to look at reopening these places.

This.

I live near an airport. There are dozens if not hundreds of bnbs.

I was in the airport for a train at the weekend and a whole terminal was closed, just one Boots open and not a person in sight in what is normally bustling.

aid should be provided only after we make sure there is/and will be sufficient funding for fellow UK nationals in need. Not a popular opinion on MN though

So many people on social media tonight bleating on about how we should "look after our own first" when they have quite clearly been voting for a government who does the exact opposite of this.

Given the circumstances, I would hope that the many people owning multiple homes could make one available. And perhaps we could have some curbs on how many homes one person can own in this crowded island as there aren't enough for people to have more than one.

@Effybriest

20,000 over 5 years so hardly swamped Let’s be honest none of them will be sent to the naicer parts of London or Home Counties, more like up here in the poorer parts of the north due to cheaper housing costs etc. Haven’t got an issue with them coming btw. As a country we should be pulling our weight re refugees and asylum seekers. We have no social housing because of the type of parties we vote into power, ones that value tax cuts and free market competition over decent public services....

Exactly, 20,000 people over 5 years is not exactly a lot!

All these people will eventually work (when allowed) and pay taxes and contribute to society.

No one is coming to the UK for the £35 per week and a grotty room. They are escaping death to build a new life.

If a refugee is at the top of a housing list then they have the higher need.

selling Windsor palace

We allow the government to put energy and billions into projects like HS2 while basic human rights are unaddressed - like the homelessness situation and the vast quantities of empty properties 'held' as investments by oversees businesses.

We allow vast 'Royal Palaces' in hundred of acres of land to lie empty or under occupied for the majority of the year while they sap public money in repairs - why? To house one family of multi millionaires. It's scandalous. Currently Balmoral is being used to 'hide Andrew' from a legitimate legal investigation.

Forget targeting 'second home owners' with a couple of bedrooms.Start at the top. These vast properties can house thousands - and many of them belong to the people - not the royals.

The Government pays councils to house these asylum seekers so it will come out of a central budget rather than your own council’s housing coffers. Therefore it means the council still has exactly the same amount to spend on social housing as it already had. So don’t worry about your place on the housing list .

And if any of you have a greater housing need (country has been taken over by a bunch of misogynist lunatics, your life is in immediate danger etc) then never fear, you’ll be above them on the priority list for council housing.

Plus they’re all very likely to be placed in private sector housing anyway (and it’s unlikely to be somewhere you’d consider to be a des res)

@ferretface

Meanwhile London is stuffed full of expensive, empty investment properties which contributes to the domestic housing shortage. We should stop courting billionaires and tax exiles and build houses for normal people to live in.

100%. This.

in this crowded island

Well, it is tiny and crowded, this is true

selling Windsor palace

The Queen owns that one. She doesn't own them all though.