Access to suitable accommodation in the community

There are ongoing and increasing challenges in finding suitable and affordable accommodation for our service users, a symptom of the current housing market, benefit cap, and no clear referral routes for under 35s.  

For people to be able to start a new life free from crime when they are released from prison and deported to the UK, they need somewhere safe to live. We see ongoing issues with access to affordable housing, overall availability of housing, the ability to house people with certain serious sexual offences, people risking voluntary homelessness due to restrictive and unrealistic expectations, and at times housing provided with no furniture or facilities, which means we have to fund additional payments for small goods and source larger white goods and furniture from external agencies. People with higher health and support needs requiring statutory housing assistance from a council often face delays in assessment and placement into accommodation, which can mean Prisoners Abroad continuing to fund the gap in accommodation as people may not receive statutory assistance if they are found ‘Intentionally Homeless’. 

We are developing our partnerships to expand our options for secure housing opportunities for those resettling in the UK after release from a foreign prison and we already work closely with the London Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Strategic Management Board in overseeing the housing protocol that is in place to support the duty to cooperate for local housing authorities and housing associations.