Doing supported housing for refugees right

Yet there are aspects of the system that are not working as they should, and the day-to-day impact on refugees and migrants is often misunderstood.

One of the biggest challenges is perception. There’s a persistent narrative that social housing disproportionately serves newly arrived communities at the expense of others. The data tells a more complex story.

In Bristol, for example, around 25% of people on the housing register are from minoritised communities, broadly in line with their share of the population. Within that, refugee communities are disproportionately affected by homelessness, not because of preferential access, but because of structural barriers on arrival.

This nuance is often lost in public debate. Misunderstanding has real-world consequences, fuelling division and, as we have seen recently, unrest.

“If we are serious about enabling people to move on from supported housing more quickly and sustainably, we must focus on meaningful labour market integration”

Historically, institutional timidity has also been a main barrier. In a political climate where refugee policy has been contentious and, at times, hostile, some local systems have been slow to intervene early to prevent homelessness among those with newly granted status.

Alongside this, refugee community organisations that provide culturally competent, trusted and preventative services have been chronically underfunded. These organisations are often best placed to stop problems escalating, yet they operate with the least financial security.

Housing alone is not enough. If we are serious about enabling people to move on from supported housing more quickly and sustainably, we must focus on meaningful labour market integration.

Too many refugees are channelled into precarious, low-paid or informal work that does not reflect their skills or experience. Doctors drive taxis. Engineers work cash-in-hand shifts. This traps people in a cycle of low income and insecure housing.

We need targeted employment pathways that recognise overseas qualifications, provide bridging training and connect people to sectors facing labour shortages. When refugees can access meaningful employment, they can afford stable housing, contribute taxes and fully contribute to their local community.

“Poorly designed supported housing can become a form of ‘warehousing’ that results in refugees remaining in the same place for years without a clear pathway to independence”

The second element is transitional, or ‘move-on’ accommodation. At ACH, we’ve implemented models that sit between supported accommodation funded by the government and fully independent tenancies.

Residents have greater autonomy, but still benefit from light-touch support. In the areas where we’ve delivered this approach, outcomes have been consistently positive, with significantly higher rates of sustained independent living.

Supported housing, when done well, has enormous benefits. It can provide language development support and employment coaching among many other things. However, poorly designed supported housing can become a form of ‘warehousing’ that results in refugees remaining in the same place for years without a clear pathway to independence.

Our mission is to break that cycle with initiatives, including the Transitional Housing Project, which we’ve been delivering alongside Coventry City Council and the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre since 2024. The project adopts a holistic, integrated approach and is designed to support refugees in accessing sustainable employment and securing long-term housing.

So far, more than 30 individuals have secured employment and more than 15 have successfully moved into the private rented sector, demonstrating strong early outcomes in both housing stability and economic integration.

These are not isolated stories. They demonstrate what is possible when housing, employment and support are aligned around life-changing independence.

Fuad Mahamed, founder and chief executive, ACH