Many people who are seeking safety in the UK are facing homelessness. After waiting months or even years for a decision on their asylum claim, they have just 28 days to find housing and work.
Local councils will give out accommodation based on need. People with children, as well as those with physical or psychological issues will have a “priority need.”
This means that a lot of refugees are at risk of becoming homeless.
Our Private Rented Scheme (PRS) aims to support single refugees into private tenancies.
We interviewed Adonis Magema, our Private Rented Scheme Senior Caseworker Coordinator. Take a look at what he had to say about this necessary and life-changing service.
You can help support our work with refugees by donating here.
Adonis Magema is our Private Rented Scheme Senior Caseworker Coordinator
The service helps people to feel empowered, be knowledgeable and gain the confidence to start rebuilding their life.
Let’s start with the basics, who are you and what do you do?
My name is Adonis and I lead the Private Rented Scheme at the Refugee Council. I have been in this role for about 10 years now and the project started 12 years ago.
Who do you support through the PRS?
Most of the clients that we work with are newly-granted refugees and therefore they are new to the country. They don’t know where to find landlords. They don’t know how the system works, or even where to start.
After being granted refugee status, finding accommodation in London can be tricky for anyone, let alone those who are new in the country.
What kind of training do you provide for clients?
We try to learn about their current situation, where they are staying at the moment, if they are homeless or if they have friends or family they can stay with, and we explain their options to them.
We also try to explain why they weren’t suitable for receiving housing through the local authority. We go through their options and we try and support them with securing the deposit and following that we provide pre-tenancy training.
Adonis provides training and support to his clients
What landlords do you work with?
We always try to recruit more landlords who are more socially responsible and are willing to rent without a deposit or with a 2-week deposit. We have to guarantee and reassure them that the rent will be covered for 6 months.
We use different databases and work with associations like Night Shelter Letting Network and we can use websites like Gumtree and SpareRoom.
Why is the service so important?
Sometimes clients say “I have not had a shower for the past three days. I can’t remember the last time I had a proper sleep.” – it’s extremely difficult not having a stable place to live, you can see that people feel fatigued and extremely tired.
I think the service helps people to feel empowered, to be knowledgeable and to gain the confidence to start rebuilding their life.
What are the challenges involved in your role?
Most people who reach our service need a place to stay as soon as possible, and this is not something we can provide in one day. There are so many more people who need our help, but there are not enough resources.
You know you can only help this tiny portion of people. I hope I make a difference to the people we support, but it is just heart-breaking to be seeing this on a daily basis.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
I enjoy working in supporting refugees to integrate, it’s very rewarding seeing how newly-recognised refugees can integrate in a new country, in a new environment.
The most rewarding thing about my role is seeing a smile on their faces when they finally get somewhere they can call home and knowing they now have a roof over their head.
It’s amazing to see how someone that you helped has turned their life around. They are now living their life.
What would you say to supporters?
To our supporters I’d like to say thank you for their kind hearts and for everything they’ve been doing to support us.
This winter, many refugees will be without somewhere to live. Please donate to support our work. You can help refugees find a home and rebuild their lives today.■
