In 2023, 62,336 people were granted protection in the UK, having claimed asylum. Each of these people and families will have been issued eviction notices of, on average, 28 days within which to vacate Home Office accommodation and find their own properties. This is a huge feat for the majority of people who have limited savings and have spent a long time - often years - unable to work and reliant on Universal Credit. Local councils across England accepted almost 10,000 applications for housing support following reports of homelessness in 2023. The BBC reported that between October and December 2023 alone, over 5000 refugee households were classed as homeless.

Following the success of our interest-free professional re-accreditation and family reunification loans, we’ve therefore launched a small-scale pilot of housing loans, covering deposits, upfront rental costs, furniture and white goods, and flooring. In order to ensure the best possible support to our housing loan clients, clients are supported by RootsMove, an organisation who provide wraparound support to individuals and families in need of stable housing.

loans can cover:

  • White goods

  • Rental deposit and initial months rent

  • Flooring

We will consider loans of up to a maximum of £10,000. All loans are interest free and the repayment terms are worked out with each applicant.

“The loan I was given has really gone a long way to help me settle down. Settling down after I was granted was really a challenging period for me because I didn't have any money. The money I had saved before was used as a deposit for the rent. So after accessing the money from RefuAid it helped me a lot. I am really really happy. Before I used to sleep on the floor but now I do have a bed, I have a table to eat, I have a TV. I really appreciate it. I just hope that this programme goes on so it can help others. Once you’re granted, it's a challenge, you can easily be homeless. It’s such a good initiative to be able to assistrefugees who have been granted financial aid either with housing or to buy things in the household. It will make people very happy. Because it's very challenging after you've been granted housing.”

Daniel, from Zambia, was granted refugee status in 2023. In 2024 he secured a private tenancy in Ashford with a friend, having spent months sofa-surfing and saving for the deposit. Daniel borrowed £2,450 in order to purchase a bed, furniture, white goods and to cover general maintenance costs. He is currently repaying £68 per month over a 36 month loan term.

*name changed to protect identity