Refugee Housing Integration Programme
HACT: Housing Associations' Charitable Trusts
About hact
Hact is a catalyst for change, developing solutions to issues concerning
groups on the margins of mainstream housing provision. Hact combines
extensive grant making with the vision of a specialist housing development
agency. Programmes impact locally through individual projects, but also
nationally, influencing policy through the learning they generate.
Current programmes include the older people’s programme, the supported living
programme and the refugee housing integration programme.
The refugee housing integration programme
For almost two decades hact has been investing in and learning from refugee
community organisations (RCOs) and refugee housing initiatives. The refugee
housing integration programme takes hact’s work in the sector a step forward.
Over at least three years, hact aims to achieve more integrated neighbourhoods
in which there is an increase in the amount and quality of housing available
to refugees by:
1. Integrating the housing needs and aspirations of refugee communities
into mainstream housing policy and practice.
2. Increasing the capacity of refugee communities to participate in the
development of housing services appropriate to their needs.
3. Developing sustainable partnership working between emerging refugee
communities and mainstream housing and related service providers.
RHIP is made up of a number of different projects and initiatives:
Accommodate – the Refugee Housing Partnership Project: This project seeks to
facilitate partnerships between refugee communities, local authorities,
housing associations and other voluntary and community organisations working
in the refugee sector. The project will resource and support activity by a
number of multi-agency partnerships, mainly in dispersal areas, so as to
develop replicable models of good practice for joint-working which will be
widely disseminated. An independent evaluation report highlighting ‘what
works’ produced at the end of the project will be used to influence policy and
practice.
Communities R Us: This initiative seeks to build a better understanding of the
ways in which long-term residents and newer refugee communities can achieve
more positive interaction at neighbourhood levels. The project will bring
communities together to tackle a shared community concern which will act as a
focus for involvement. Models of good practice for the development of
community cohesion will be identified and disseminated in the form of a 
community development toolkit
Rent deposit project: To be run in collaboration with the National Rent
Deposit Forum, this project will increase the involvement of RCOs in a range
of local rent deposit, rent guarantee and rental bond schemes and build the
capacity of existing schemes to address refugee housing needs.
Refugee and housing network regional seminars: The hact/Joseph Rowntree
Foundation refugee and housing network brought together senior people from
local authorities, the housing and refugee sectors, and from RCOs. Meeting
regularly over a two-year period, the network explored the impact of current
refugee and asylum policy on the housing position of refugees, particularly in
areas of dispersal. The overall findings and solutions that were identified by
the network will be disseminated through a series of regional good practice
seminars during 2004 and 2005.
Regional training and consultancy support: To strengthen the ability of
refugee housing advisors to respond to the housing needs of their communities
hact has been providing intensive regional training courses since 1999. In
2004 training courses have been run successfully in Leicester and a further
course will run in Merseyside in Septermber/October. Consultancy support is
also available and linked mainly to needs identified by trainees and
recipients of grants.
Refugee housing development fund: The fund provides grants to organisations,
mainly in dispersal areas, to develop housing and related projects, encourage
co-operation and working partnerships and strengthen the capacity of RCOs in
line with the overall aims of RHIP. Projects should demonstrate a high degree
of refugee involvement.
Hact is currently developing a number of further aspects to the programme:
Housing association and RCO placement project: This aims to promote mutual
understanding and collaboration by providing refugee community leaders with
opportunities to gain hands-on experience of the housing sector while also
providing housing associations with opportunities to obtain practical guidance
from refugee community organisations on how to meet the settlement needs of
refugees.
London developments: In partnership with the Refugee Housing Association,
Praxis and the Greater London Authority, hact is exploring strategic
approaches to ensure that the needs of refugees and other migrant communities
are included in London’s housing plans. Hact is also working with the Empty
Homes Agency to enhance the services provided by small, refugee community
housing associations in the capital.
Still moving arts project: Using the visual arts as a medium, the project aims
to raise awareness about the housing and resettlement aspirations and
experiences of refugees.
For further information, please contact
Barbara Nea or Vicky Evans, Programme Officers on 020 7247 7800
email: [log in to unmask] or, [log in to unmask]
hact , 78 Quaker St, London, E1 6SW or visit www.hact.org.uk
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