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A recent Jesuit Refugee Service report on rising homelessness among refugees reflects what volunteers at Refugees Welcome Crawley (RWC) encounter daily in West Sussex.

Across the country, people granted refugee status are facing eviction from Home Office accommodation with little time to secure alternative housing. In Crawley, where affordable housing is scarce and private sector rents are high, the situation is particularly acute.

Most asylum seekers are housed in Home Office-contracted hotels while their claims are processed. Following recent changes in UK asylum law, a successful  claim made after 2 March will result in a  grant of refugee status for 2.5 years (previously five years). At this point, they are permitted to work and claim benefits but must leave their accommodation after 28 days when asylum support is discontinued.

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As one RWC volunteer explains:

"They need to find accommodation – not an easy task with no rental history, no employment record, since they have not been permitted to work until this point, and generally no friend or family member in the UK who can offer a short-term roof over their head while they search."

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For single adults under 35, the Local Housing Allowance in Crawley stands at £475 per month, a sum barely enough to secure even a room in the private rental sector. Many landlords continue to refuse tenants in receipt of benefits, although this practice will become unlawful under the Renters' Rights Act from 1 May 2026. Where a claim is refused and no appeal is lodged, individuals can find themselves without shelter almost immediately. Further changes to asylum support are planned from 2 June 2026 and are expected to result in a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers becoming homeless.

For those sleeping rough, RWC volunteers provide sleeping bags, bivvy bags and survival blankets. In exceptional circumstances, the charity is able to fund a night's emergency hotel accommodation. Recent grants from our diocesan Refugee Crisis Fund have helped to cover food vouchers, sleeping bags and emergency shelter for eleven homeless refugees.

Late last year, a young man from Eritrea spent ten nights sleeping in a shopfront doorway following eviction from his hotel accommodation. Temperatures on one occasion were severe, though not sufficient to trigger the local authority Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP). RWC arranged two hotel rooms for him and four others who were also without shelter that night. While in the hotel, the group messaged their RWC caseworker:

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"If it were not for you, I don't know what we would do. Thanks again – we are all thanking you."

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To find out more about the diocesan Refugee Crisis Fund, click the button below.‍