The way that people are accommodated during the asylum process has shifted in recent years, with an increasing proportion accommodated in London, primarily in contingency hotels. This presents a ‘move-on’ challenge: many of these residents have subsequently been recognised as refugees, but struggle to secure mainstream housing, undermining their ability to build a stable life in the UK. There was a rapid rise in homelessness among newly granted refugee adults not deemed ‘priority need’ in 2023 and going into winter 2025/26 this continues to be a serious issue. In the context of wider homelessness pressures, local authorities are often ‘fire-fighting’ to provide statutory support, with limited opportunity for cross-locational learning. The ‘Refugee Housing Transitions’ project sought information on the refugee homelessness situation and how local authorities are responding, in order to foster the development of more effective approaches across London.

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The project is funded by the ESRC Creating Opportunities Through Innovation Fellowship Scheme. Project partners / advisors include Greater London Authority, the No Accommodation Network & Refugees in Effective and Active Partnership.

Between June and September 2025, we carried out interviews with 20 people working in 14 local authorities across London (focusing on those with more significant asylum-seeker populations) and 13 interviews with other relevant parties, including voluntary and community sector organisations. In addition, qualitative research was carried out with asylum-seekers and refugees in the Hillingdon area in collaboration with REAP. This was supplemented with visits and conversations at local services, co-ordination meetings and housing workshops in various locations in London.

Our project report scopes the move-on housing challenge from the perspective of London boroughs and maps LA responses and draws out examples of good practice, focusing on work with single adults.