Asylum Seekers Housed in £300,000 Suffolk Homes Amid Shift From Hotels
Asylum seekers have been placed in new-build homes in Suffolk, valued at £300,000 each, as part of a wider move to reduce reliance on asylum hotels across the UK.
Locals like Clive and Susan are furious that residents who can't get on the property ladder aren't even considered.
Asylum seekers have been put in new £300,000 town houses.
Properties are fitted with plush kitchens.
The three-bed properties have a rental value of £1,200 a month.
The four privately owned three-bedroom town houses, each featuring en-suite bathrooms, electric vehicle charging points, and underfloor heating, are being leased to public service provider Serco. Acting on behalf of the Home Office, Serco is housing migrant families in the properties rent-free while their applications are processed. The homes, with a rental value of £1,200 per month, mark a shift in government policy that aims to place asylum seekers in private housing rather than hotels.
Peter Jordan
Local reaction has been mixed. Suffolk councillors confirmed that the community initially responded positively, though several residents later expressed frustration over a lack of consultation. Long-time resident Clive Bloomfield voiced concerns that locals struggling to buy homes were not considered, while others questioned why taxpayers were funding such arrangements. Parents and young professionals in the village also noted the difficulty for local families to access affordable housing.
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Not all feedback has been negative. Some residents welcomed the arrival of new families, offering basic necessities and stressing the importance of providing opportunities to those who have fled difficult circumstances. At least one asylum-seeking family has already moved into the development, having applied legally after their visas expired.
The issue highlights broader challenges in housing allocation. Suffolk council data shows almost 800 people were waiting for council or housing association properties last year. Nationally, more than 106,000 asylum seekers were receiving government support by July, with 32,000 in hotels and 70,000 in other forms of accommodation.
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Earlier this year, Serco offered private landlords five-year guaranteed rental agreements for properties to be used by asylum seekers. The arrangement included full property management, maintenance, and utility coverage. The approach aligns with Labour’s manifesto commitment to close all asylum hotels, with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson noting that closures without alternatives would risk leaving people on the streets.
The Home Office recently secured a legal victory overturning a block on the use of The Bell Hotel in Essex for asylum accommodation. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party is pushing for a parliamentary vote to give local authorities greater influence over property allocations for asylum seekers.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to update Parliament on the UK’s returns agreement with France and confirmed that the National Crime Agency disrupted 347 criminal networks linked to illegal immigration in the past year, a 40 percent increase compared with the previous year.
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Government figures show that less than two years ago, 400 asylum hotels were in operation at a cost of nearly £9 million per day. The Home Office has since doubled the rate of asylum decision-making and reduced hotel-related costs by nearly £1 billion.
