A new report<\/a> from NACCOM and Homeless Link sets out local authority principles for practice and recommendations for national government.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Local authorities and voluntary organisations are demonstrating how to prevent rough sleeping among refugees, but are being undermined by Home Office asylum policies, according to the report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It highlights how local areas are preventing homelessness by working in partnership and using the period before and after an asylum decision to provide clear information and support to help people access housing, benefits, English language learning and employment support. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n However, national policy is working against this good practice. Policies including the new 42-day asylum move-on period and introduction of a \u2018core protection\u2019 model, rules preventing people from working whilst they await a decision on their claim and measures making refugee status temporary and subject to review every 30 months are undermining the government\u2019s drive to end rough sleeping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To address these issues, the report sets out guidelines for local authorities and their partners, alongside recommendations for national government. These will enable local areas across the country to replicate successful initiatives already in place and ensure that they are supported by a national framework that provides refugees with the support they need to put down roots, find work and contribute to local communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The local guidelines are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Key recommendations for national government are to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n For further information contact louise.weaver@homelesslink.org.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Advicenow has a new research report<\/a> called \u2018Go away and fill out this massive form\u2019: Local authority gatekeeping of homelessness assistance for refugees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It shows that local authorities are placing barriers in the way of refugees accessing homelessness assistance to which they may be legally entitled \u2014 i.e. gatekeeping. The findings draw on evidence from frontline practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Issues include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The report concludes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGatekeeping must be understood in the broader context of the housing crisis, austerity and LA budget cuts. This leaves LAs in a challenging position where demand for homelessness assistance often exceeds available resources. However, gatekeeping serves to hide the true extent of demand and entitlement to homelessness assistance, disguising the gap between the supply and demand of social housing resources. This in turn has consequences for transparent and accountable political choices about investment in public housing.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Housing](\"https:\/\/housing-rights.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/Housing-rights-inline-image-2-column.png\")
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\u2018Go away and fill out this massive form\u2019: Local authority gatekeeping of homelessness assistance for refugees<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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