Following this morning’s Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme announcement by the government, the Leader of Harlow Council has outlined how the council intends to support the scheme. The government’s scheme will offer a route to set up a home in the UK for those fleeing their home or facing threats of persecution from the Taliban with the Government covering the full costs of the scheme.
Councillor Andrew Johnson, Leader of Harlow Council, said: “The scenes from Afghanistan have been extremely distressing to see and it is right that the Government has launched the new resettlement scheme.
“With an acute shortage of council housing in Harlow along with 4,000 plus families on the Harlow Housing Needs Register, we do not have any suitable council housing available to support programmes such as this.
“However, we will do all we can to assist the government as part of a national effort to help women, children and others most in need and we welcome the scheme which has been announced today.
“Just like the Syrian vulnerable persons resettlement scheme and like many other councils, we will work with private landlords to find suitable private sector housing to support the government’s scheme and provide the wraparound support required.
“We have offered that support directly to the Government and I today re-emphasise our commitment to helping to find suitable accommodation through the private sector.”
