Bristol City Council brings solution to house refugees in the city

Ashley Community Housing (ACH) is working with Bristol City Council to provide an innovative solution to housing refugees in the city.

Bristol City Council has agreed to lease three properties to ACH so that they can be used for move on accommodation as part of their refugee resettlement programme. All three properties required extensive repair and refurbishment and the cost of this was funded by ACH. In return, the Council agreed to grant leases for 10 years at peppercorn rents in order that ACH could fund the repair work.

These three properties are part of an ongoing programme where the council has been looking at various options to bring empty flats and houses back into use.

As part of the refurbishment programme, a number of ACH tenants have worked upon the properties, helping them pick up construction skills.

Saed Mohammed, ACH’s Property Manager, explained “I feel very privileged to have been involved in such a life transforming project, which has had a huge impact on peoples’ lives. Not only will it provide accommodation to those who need it, it has also offered first-hand experience to the very people who will be residents in these refurbished properties, helping them gain valuable skills in building work which will enhance their future employability in the construction sector.”