Wiltshire Council: Helping Afghan families will not impact on affordable homes for locals
They put a call out for private landlords to get in touch
Wiltshire Council have explained that Afghan families that might settle in the county after fleeing the country will not impact on affordable homes for local people living here.
The council is asking private landlords who have affordable homes that are ready to let to get in touch, as the council prepares to welcome some here.
People who live in Wiltshire who need affordable homes join the Council’s housing waiting list Homes4wilts and then bid for available affordable homes.
However, any Afghan families will not go through this process.
Instead, they will move into private rented homes the same as any other household in Wiltshire who is looking for a suitable home in the private rented sector.
They're urging anyone who might be able to help to get in contact and the council will then identify suitable homes and provide the support so the Afghan family can take up the tenancy.
Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Military Civilian Integration said:
“We know there are people who want us to help those fleeing Afghanistan and we thank everyone for their support so far.
However, understandably there are also those who are struggling to understand how we can house more people when there are people that need an affordable home in Wiltshire.
“I want to make it really clear that we are specifically asking private landlords to come forward with offers of help. It is our intention to use homes in the private rented sector or properties that are offered to us – as we did when support was offered to Syrian refugee families.
“We’re doing this so we don’t impact on those Wiltshire people who have a need for an affordable home and have registered with the council’s Homes4wilts system. We are also talking to the Ministry of Defence about how we could support them using the significant number of empty MOD houses in the county as another option for both Afghan families and for the wider number of Wiltshire people needing a home in the county.”
Private landlords can get in touch by going to the Wiltshire Council website.