Claims Asylum Seekers Will Be Housed In New Council Properties Rejected As £18m Scheme Approved

False claims circulating on social media that more than 100 homes being acquired by North Yorkshire Council are intended for asylum seekers have been firmly rejected by officials.

Vulnerable residents and homeless families will be housed in more than a hundred new properties, as council officials firmly reject online claims that the homes are intended for asylum seekers.

An eighteen million pound investment will see North Yorkshire Council expand its temporary housing programme from ninety to one hundred and twelve homes to cope with rising demand and the spiralling costs of using hotels and bed and breakfast establishments.

False claims had been circulating on social media suggesting that the properties being acquired under the scheme were being bought to house asylum seekers.

Addressing the online rumours, Councillor Peter Wilkinson clarified the purpose of the expanded scheme.

He said:

"This program is not for asylum accommodation. Accommodation for asylum seekers is arranged separately by the Home Office. These homes are intended for households to whom North Yorkshire Council owes homelessness duties, including families with children, people fleeing domestic abuse, and other vulnerable residents who would otherwise have nowhere suitable to stay."

The updated business case, approved in September, will see the local authority directly acquire and develop properties across the county. The budget for the project has been increased to just over eighteen million pounds, up from an initial eleven point six million pounds.

Councillor Peter Wilkinson explained the financial and social drivers behind the decision.

He said:

"Demand for temporary accommodation has increased significantly in recent years at the same time the cost of relying on hotels bed and breakfast accommodation has risen sharply.

The Council therefore needs a longer term solution that provides a better outcome for residents and better value for taxpayers.

These homes will remain council-owned assets. We help reduce our reliance on expensive emergency accommodation.

The programme is forecast to deliver substantial savings, potentially in excess of 2.7 million per annum."

Twenty new units of temporary accommodation have already been delivered and occupied. The majority of these are located on the Yorkshire Coast, with eleven properties already acquired in Scarborough.

Despite this progress, council reports highlight a continued under-provision of suitable accommodation in Scarborough, particularly the one- and two-bedroom units needed for homeless single people and couples.

To address local needs and manage the new properties, a dedicated Temporary Accommodation Manager has been appointed to cover the Scarborough and Ryedale areas, alongside additional maintenance service provision.

The shift away from bed and breakfast accommodation is partly driven by legal duties and welfare concerns. It is unlawful to place homeless sixteen and seventeen-year-olds in such emergency provision, and families with children or pregnant women cannot be placed in bed and breakfasts for more than six weeks.

Council officials note that living in emergency accommodation can exacerbate health problems, meaning the new self-contained homes should improve wellbeing and avoid associated health and social care costs.

The revised programme removes previous plans to rely on housing associations to deliver thirty of the homes, as progress had been too slow. Instead, the local authority will take full ownership of the assets to ensure the delivery pipeline is met.

In the short term, housing teams will also explore leasing suitable properties from private landlords to provide additional temporary accommodation more quickly, while the permanent supply is developed.

If the demand for temporary housing decreases in the future, the council retains the option to sell the assets or repurpose them for children's services, adult social care, or wider supportive housing needs.