Cllr Lewis Herbert, Leader of the Council, met last week with Home Office Minister, Richard Harrington, at a conference organised by East of England Local Government Association (EELGA) in Cambridge.
They discussed the existing Home Office Syrian Vulnerable People’s Relocation Scheme, which the council is participating in, but also issues relating to those people falling outside of the scheme.
So far, the council has resettled 30 people from seven families, three families under the Syrian Resettlement Programme and four other refugee families, and will continue to resettle more refugees under the Home Office programme over the next four years.
The council is working with the Cambridge Community Ethnic Forum to carry out a survey to identify the numbers of people seeking asylum in the city. Gaps in service for those people who are not covered by the Home Office resettlement scheme are also being identified.
Work is under way with the Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign to enable the offers of accommodation in private homes to be taken up by asylum seekers who fall outside the Home Office scheme.
The council is also working with private landlords and housing associations to identify homes for a second intake of Syrian refugees.
Recent reports suggesting there are 3,000 vacant properties in Cambridge that could be used for refugees are not accurate because most of those properties are in use as second homes.
Only around 270 private sector properties have been vacant for a recordable time period and of those, approximately 40 have been empty for over two years.
Cllr Lewis Herbert, said: “We are doing all we can, during challenging times for housing, to provide homes, support and security for Syrian refugees under both the Home Office scheme and to help others arriving in Cambridge via our homelessness policy.
“So far we have been able to help around 30 people, with more assistance to come in the months ahead.
“I highlighted to the Minister that we believe there are other people, not covered by the scheme, who need support, and explained our next phase of assistance which relies wholly on much appreciated housing association and private rented offers of Cambridge property to assist refugees.
“I said that our community wants to do more and also to help single people by providing them with accommodation. We also raised the issue of where unaccompanied teenagers go.
“We are lucky locally to be working with Cambridge Community Ethnic Forum and Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign to assess how many of these people there are in Cambridge and what we can do to help them.
“We know there is great enthusiasm and passion in the city to play a part in addressing the refugee crisis and, together with the many great offers of help from the community, we want to do all we can to offer sanctuary to those in need.”
The Home Office scheme covers Syrian refugees in camps in countries around Syria. As part of this scheme, the council inspects properties offered to ensure they are of an appropriate standard. Where rents are requested they would have to be affordable under the Home Office scheme, which will be in line with council rents.
All properties must be self-contained units rather than spare rooms, due to Home Office prohibitions against the use of spare rooms for resettling refugees.
If you are a landlord or property developer and would like to discuss how you could make a difference, contact Paula Pinzon at: info@cambridgerefugees.org
For other ways to help refugees that are displaced visit the council’s website at: www.cambridge.gov.uk/Syrian-refugees
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Contacts
Cllr Lewis Herbert (Labour Group), Leader of Cambridge City Council, email: lewis.herbert@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 07748 536153
Cllr Tim Bick (Liberal Democrat Group), Opposition spokesperson, email: tim.bick@btinternet.com, tel: 07720 413173
Cllr John Hipkin, (Minorities Group), Opposition spokesperson, email: castleindependent@gmail.com, tel: 01223 564126
Paula Pinzon, Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign, email: info@cambridgerefugees.org, go to: www.cambridgerefugees.org
Eddie Stadnix, CEO, Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum, email: Eddie@cecf.co.uk, tel: 01223 655241.
Housing spokespeople:
Cllr Kevin Price (Labour Group), Executive Councillor for Housing, email: kevin.price@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 07964 280689
Cllr Nick Avery (Liberal Democrat Group), Opposition spokesperson, email: nick.avery@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 07798 802215
Cllr Marie-Louise Holland, (Minorities Group), Opposition spokesperson,
email: marie-louise.holland@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 01223 564126
Liz Bisset, Director of Customer and Community Services, email: liz.bisset@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 01223 457801
Lynda Kilkelly, Safer Communities Manager, email: lynda.kilkelly@cambridge.gov.uk, tel: 01223 457045
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Council asks government to broaden support for refugees
8 March 2016
Cambridge City Council is asking the government to broaden the help on offer to refugees coming to the city. The council also renewed its call for offers of privately owned flats or homes in the city to assist in rehoming refugees in need.