The Government’s spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) has today reported on the failure of private contractors to deliver adequate housing to asylum seekers.

The NAO’s findings included recognition that some providers took too long to find appropriate housing, and that the “some service users have suffered” under the new contracts.

The COMPASS contractors are charged with housing some of the most vulnerable in our society, and we have long held concerns about the availability and quality of housing available to asylum seekers.

Asylum seekers are often people who have fled horrifying experiences in their own countries and have lost everything. They do not get a choice where they live and are totally reliant on the COMPASS contractors to ensure that their properties are safe for them and their families to live in.

Refugee Council Chief Executive Maurice Wren said: “We welcome this report and urge all relevant parties to heed its advice.  Failure to provide adequate accommodation is always unacceptable.

“It’s essential the Home Office sets clear standards, provides the resources required to deliver them and is tough on contractors who fail to meet them. It’s vital that people attempting to rebuild their lives in safety feel safe and secure.”