What is Welcome Homes?
Thousands of refugees across the UK are currently living in temporary accommodation due to a lack of available housing, whilst many people seeking asylum experience destitution on their journey to becoming a refugee. Here at Welcome Churches we believe that everyone deserves to have a place that they can call home, and that the UK Church has a particular responsibility to welcome those seeking refuge in our communities.
Welcome Homes exists to encourage and equip Christians to practically demonstrate hospitality towards those seeking refuge in the UK through offering housing and hosting. Building on the growth of public interest in hosting initiated by the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, Welcome Homes seeks to grow and sustain a national culture of hospitality towards refugees.
The need that Welcome Homes is responding to is two-sided
Hosts who are willing to offer a space in their home to refugees and people seeking asylum, as a short term solution that prevents homelessness.
Landlords who will offer affordable (LHA rate) long-term housing to refugees that will provide them with the safety and stability they need to rebuild their lives in the UK.
How does it work?
Hosting
We are partnering with NACCOM (The No Accommodation Network) to end destitution amongst refugees, people who are seeking asylum or have been refused asylum and migrants with no recourse to public funds. Use our online platform to connect with a local hosting programme!
Churches are also starting to consider offering supported lodgings to newly-recognised refugees in need of accommodation. This is when refugees pay some rent to board in someone else’s home. We have a guide of the different things to consider when thinking this through.
Housing
If you are a landlord interested in renting your property to tenants from a refugee background, please get in touch with us to talk through the options available to you.
If you already rent out a property and would like to use the income to help more refugees across the UK, you might like to consider our Property Associates Scheme.