Council support for £2m project to house Afghan refugees in the Warwick district

The district’s cabinet unanimously supported the venture, almost half of which is to be funded by government grants, when it met on Wednesday.

A decision to progress will have to go through a meeting for all councillors but support was offered by each political party represented on the district council at the cabinet meeting.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has allocated up to £919,200 for the council to help purchase the homes, which can be new or existing homes or properties that are in need of renovation.

The £250 million national programme is designed to house and integrate Afghan refugees. Councils also fund some of the purchases and get to keep the housing long term.

Warwick District Council will take on a £1.127 million loan from the Public Works Loan Board – central government – which is expected to cost more than £1.5 million in interest over the next 40 years but those costs and those associated with running the properties are expected to be covered after 26 years, yielding profits for the authority thereafter.

Five will be permanent homes that must be for Afghan refugees with one allocated to emergency accommodation open to anyone. To unlock the government funding, they must be acquired by March 29, 2024.

The council’s report highlights the risk of “reputational issues such as queue jumping” among those residents waiting for council housing and plans to mitigate those through “well thought out communications around the scheme”.

It follows on from a similar £6.2 million scheme to purchase 21 homes for Afghan or Ukrainian refugees in March.

Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Alan Boad (Leamington Lillington) suggested ensuring the homes are scattered around rather than creating an obvious cluster with “the potential problems that could give”.

Councillor Judith Falp (Whitnash Residents’ Association, Whitnash) highlighted the need to back up the provision of homes with help for the families that will fill them.

“It is not just about homes, we need to work closely with the county council to make sure these families are welcomed and helped to settle in the area,” she said.

Councillor Paul Wightman (Lab, Warwick All Saints & Woodloes), the district’s portfolio holder for housing, said: “I am sure those considerations, to properly integrate those residents into the community, will be taken on board.

“It is not the direct scope of the paper to recommend locations but I think they are worthwhile comments, integrating the people affected into the community should be a priority.”