In December 2024, the Home Office temporarily extended the move on period from 28 to 56 days to allow newly recognised refugees more time to transition from asylum accommodation to independent housing (BBC, 2024). Despite this extension, and a further renewal in July 2025 to the end of the year (EIN, 2025) many are advocating for the 56-day period to become permanent (Homeless Link, 2025; Young Roots, 2025). The shorter the move on periods, the higher the risk of homelessness among refugees (NACCOM, 2024).
While local authorities have no control over move on periods, they play a critical role in preventing and reducing homelessness among refugees. In 2024, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) launched Homes for Refugees, an innovative and cost-effective approach to homelessness prevention and refugee inclusion. What is this initiative? We explore how it developed, what its local impact has been so far, why it offers a valuable framework for other local authorities.
Tackling rough sleeping among ‘non-priority’ newly recognised refugees
In 2023/2024, when the move on period was 28 days long, homelessness among people leaving asylum accommodation rose significantly in England. Under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, UK local authorities have a duty to prevent and relieve homelessness. In 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government reported an increase in households owed a prevention duty (up 113.9%) or a relief duty (up 251.2%) on being required to leave accommodation provided by the Home Office as asylum support compared to the previous year. In the same financial year, the No Accommodation Network (NACCOM, 2024) accommodated 1,941 refugee adults experiencing homelessness, a 99% increase from the previous year.
The situation in Gloucestershire reflects the national trend. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of former asylum seekers granted a homelessness duty in the region increased by almost 10 times (GCC, 2024). Rough sleeping among refugees assessed as non-priority for emergency accommodation (e.g., without dependents or recognised vulnerabilities) also increased, as observed by local charity Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS) who works in partnership with GCC.
Homes for Ukraine: a model for local authorities
Homes for Refugees was inspired by Homes for Ukraine (HfU), a scheme allowing private individuals and public institutions to sponsor and host Ukrainians fleeing the country following Russia’s invasion. By March 2025, 223,000 individuals found safety in the UK under this scheme (Samuel et al., 2025), showing the potential of community-led welcome for refugee inclusion (Broadhead & Turcatti, 2024). Gloucestershire has welcomed over 1,800 Ukrainians under HfU and, while some have since returned to Ukraine, around 450 individuals remain living with hosts, with many placements lasting for over 3 years, highlighting a sustained willingness from the local community to offer accommodation and support. Furthermore, over 800 Ukrainians have successfully found independent accommodation, showing that short-term supported accommodation can be a springboard to independence.
The success of HfU in Gloucestershire led to GCC replicating its approach to address the issue of rough sleeping amongst newly recognised refugees. Homes for Refugees offers two types of short-term supported accommodation for up to 3 months to those considered non-priority for emergency accommodation (GCC, 2024). Individuals and families are triaged and allocated either:
- A council-owned facility managed by a specially commissioned accommodation-based support provider, where refugees have access to a private room and cooking facilities; A placement in private accommodation provided by a host in the local community, with access to cooking facilities. Here, as with HfU, GCC conducts safeguarding checks and then matches individuals with hosts, who receive a £600 monthly ‘thank you’ payment.
In both cases, refugees access support from a dedicated housing officer, who splits their time between the council-owned facility and the GARAS office to provide one-to-one support to refugees referred to the scheme. This support includes guidance with finding and securing housing, understanding tenancy rights, accessing relevant entitlements, and referring on to relevant organisations to promote independence.
The local impact
So far, Homes for Refugees has housed 158 individuals, with 142 placed in council-owned accommodation and 16 hosted by community members. A significant 80% of referrals secured independent housing within three months.
The impact of Homes for Refugees extends to hosts and the wider community. Research shows that, through community-led welcome, local communities gain knowledge of and an appreciation for diversity which enhances community cohesion and counteract discrimination and racism (Cousins, 2018; Phillimore et al., 2022). Additionally, community-led welcome provides an opportunity for local residents to contribute to social justice issues, becoming a life changing experience for many (Balboni and Shiras, 2025).
Positive outcomes were also felt by local residents involved in Homes for Refugees, as powerfully captured by one of the hosts (GCC, 2024):
“I’d been considering renting my spare room out through Air BnB but then saw the information on Facebook about hosting a refugee and thought that would be interesting. The process was very smooth: the DBS check and home check were done within a few days and then [my guest] moved in a couple of weeks later. […] This experience has given me an idea of the challenges that refugees face with things that are everyday to us. [My guest] seems to have had a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy to navigate, for example in applying for a provisional driving licence and not having anyone to act as a guarantor for rented accommodation”.
Lessons and reflections for local authorities
Homes for Refugees is a compelling example of the vital role local authorities play in homelessness prevention and refugee inclusion. Its innovation lies not in the concept itself, but in the repurposing of existing models and infrastructure to support refugees and maximise resources available.
In a climate of financial pressure (LGiU, 2025) and impending Local Government Reorganisation (LGA, 2025), it may be challenging for local authorities to prioritise refugee-focused homelessness prevention initiatives. However, the costs of homelessness interventions are outweighed by long-term savings through reduced demand on services like the NHS, criminal justice system, and emergency housing (GCC, 2024). Newly recognised refugees are one of the most at-risk groups for homelessness, considering the current cost-of-living crisis (Royal London, 2025) and additional barriers to housing and employment (e.g., mental health challenges, delays in asylum processing, deskilling due to restricted work rights, and language barriers [Lindley et al., 2024]).
Preventing homelessness among refugees is also essential for community cohesion, broadly understood as the bonds and relations that tie individuals within and across groups (Scott, 2025). By centering community cohesion as a core part of the role local authorities play (LGA, 2019), Homes for Refugees and similar initiatives become a means to foster not only refugee inclusion but meaningful relationships between refugees and long-term residents.
Thomas Fell is the Public Health Manager at Gloucester City Council (GCC). Dr. Domiziana Turcatti is a Local Authority Research Practitioner, GCC and Post-doctoral Affiliate at COMPAS (University of Oxford).
If you are a local authority and wish to learn more about Homes for Refugees, you can read the read the GCC Director of Public Health’s Report 2024 and/or contact Thomas Fell, Public Health Manager at GCC Thomas.fell@gloucestershire.gov.uk
