Torridge councillor has reservations over refugee housing

He says the area is suffering enough with homelessness

A Torridge councillor has reservations over the authority taking in more refugees because of the amount of homelessness in the district.

Torridge has been offered government money to provide temporary housing for Ukrainian and Afghan migrants, many of whom are currently being accommodated by host families.

The government has pledged £576,000 to house people displaced by conflicts in Ukraine and Afghanistan, of which £172,000 is due before 5 April, and the rest by April next year – if the council accepts the cash.

A council officer says the money can be used “flexibly,” essentially meaning the council can buy or convert properties or work with housing authorities to secure housing for refugees.

Torridge does not currently have any migrants resident under the Afghan scheme, and one of the conditions of the government grant is that they accept refugees under that programme.

Once the scheme ends, the council’s newly acquired homes will transfer to the district’s control for people already in the area who are struggling.

Council chair Cllr Dough Bushby (Independent, Bideford North) said taking in refugees is “fantastic,” but he fears that Torridge is struggling enough with homelessness as it is without taking in anyone else.

“Some time ago, we already declared a housing emergency for our local people,” he explained at a council meeting on Monday (23 January). “We’ve got 71 families that are desperately in need of accommodation here already.

“How does it look to our local community when we’re applying for money to be able to convert buildings that we may or may not own or whatever, to then be giving this accommodation to Afghan families and Ukrainians as well?”

He added: “We haven’t got enough capacity, let alone any spare,” before questioning why government funding is not available for people from elsewhere in the United Kingdom who are seeking a home in Torridge.

Council leader Cllr Ken James (Independent, Milton and Tamarside) disagreed with Cllr Bushby, highlighting the potential long-term benefit of the scheme for the local people of Torridge.

“I can’t accept that argument at all,” he said. “We’re being offered money to house [refugees] and the action that once they’ve done that, we can use those houses, should they become available, for our own people.”

Cllr Claire Hodson (Independent, Westward Ho!) supported the programme, also highlighting the possibility of long-term housing for those in Torridge already without a home.

“It is an opportunity for this authority,” she said. “In return, we need to look at short-term solutions and we need to look at longer-term solutions. The properties would return us if we’d housed Ukrainians and pray to God the war comes to a conclusion and they return home, [the houses will] become our assets.”

Councillors voted to accept the government’s funding in principle, but they will now wait for more details to be given to them by Westminster before accepting the grant.