New guide eases pressure for housing and migration

The UK housing sector now has access to the first ever practice guide on housing and migration, which provides practical solutions for tackling issues in this complex area.

Released today, ‘Housing and Migration: A UK Guide to issues and solutions’, responds to the fact that one in eight of Britain’s population is foreign born, with the proportion being much higher in certain areas.  The housing sector needs to find ways to deal with an increasing number of people arriving in the country who are in housing need.

The guide, produced by the Housing and Migration Network, is published just as changes resulting from the Localism Act allow councils to set their own rules about who can apply to be on their housing registers. As they must ensure their rules do not discriminate against particular nationalities or ethnic groups this guide is useful in explaining how to remove the barriers which migrants often face in gaining access to decent housing.

Paul Birtill, Director of Metropolitan Migration Foundation, said: “Rapid changes in policy, a highly politicised environment and other priorities have made it extremely difficult for social landlords to ‘keep on top of’ migration and its impact, particularly on neighbourhoods. This guide, however, presents practical solutions and examples which make it easier to address these issues, easing the burden on the sector and providing further support to migrants.”

Read the press release for more information.