This research digest has been developed to summarise the available evidence on what is known about what works in improving housing outcomes for refugees. It is aimed at those in leadership and management roles in the housing and social welfare sectors. It should also be of interest to leaders and elected members with responsibility for housing, neighbourhoods, and equalities. It will be of particular interest to those working in the voluntary and community sectors who play a foundational role in supporting refugees in exile.
This document draws on a rapid evidence assessment (REA) that systematically identified 67 separate items of evidence drawn from the UK and other OECD countries. It examines ‘what works’ in the context of housing and resettlement, through identifying policies, interventions and measures being taken within the UK and in comparable international contexts. The review focuses on refugees, not those awaiting a determination on their asylum application, and includes resettled refugees (arriving through a sponsored resettlement programme), asylum-pathway refugees (those moving on from asylum accommodation post-decision) and arrivals who have come through other programmes (e.g. Homes for Ukraine, etc.).
