The Head of Housing has submitted a report to seek approval for future commitments for resettling new refugee families into Oxford, and to seek approval to go to tender to commission the provision of person centred support.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.        Approve the resettlement of a minimum of 8 refugee families per year from any of the resettlement schemes highlighted in the report for a period of 5 years from 2023 to 2028, on the condition that the requirements in paragraph 21 of the report are consistently met to ensure scheme viability;

2.        Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to agree the resettlement of additional refugees above this allocation (which will incur additional expenditure from Home Office grant funding for support provision) subject to sufficient grant funding;

3.        Approve the use of Home Office grant funding of up to £1,313,840 (see Appendix 2) to procure the provision of 2 years of person centred support for each refugee family arriving in Oxford during the 5 year period between 2023 -2028;

4.        Delegate authority to the Head of Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to approve the use of the Home Office grant funding to procure additional person centred support as required; and

5.        Delegate authority to the Head of Housing in consultation with the Head of Financial Services/S151 Officer, the Head of Law and Governance and the Cabinet Member for Housing to allocate the approved budget and enter into contract(s) with a provider(s) for the provision of person centred support.

The Head of Housing had submitted a report to seek approval for future commitments for resettling new refugee families into Oxford, and to seek approval to go to tender to commission the provision of person centred support.

Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing, reported that the resettlement of a minimum of 8 refugee families each year for the next five years was proposed.  This would be fully-funded by government grant, and so involved no new pressure on Council budgets.  The scheme would offer private rented accommodation for the families, and would use Home Office funding to provide support services to help ensure that they could successfully begin their new lives in Oxford.  Based on previous successful resettlement projects these services would comprise a holistic, person-centred trauma-informed support service to enable families to become fully independent in the community.  This would include support and coaching to enable individuals to access education and employment.

Whilst the Council wished to provide sanctuary above the level set out in the report, there were limitations around the supply of affordable housing locally and the capacity of partner organisations to provide the support needed.  Inclusion of more than 8 families per year in the scheme might be possible if the supply of suitable properties allowed.  Additionally, participation in this scheme did not preclude the Council considering opportunities to participate in other refugee resettlement schemes.

Councillor Shaista Aziz, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, highlighted that the proposal was aligned with the Council’s aim to become a City of Sanctuary.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.         Approve the resettlement of a minimum of 8 refugee families per year from any of the resettlement schemes highlighted in the report for a period of 5 years from 2023 to 2028, on the condition that the requirements in paragraph 21 of the report are consistently met to ensure scheme viability;

2.         Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Communities and People), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to agree the resettlement of additional refugees above this allocation (which will incur additional expenditure from Home Office grant funding for support provision) subject to sufficient grant funding;

3.         Approve the use of Home Office grant funding of up to £1,313,840 (see Appendix 2) to procure the provision of 2 years of person centred support for each refugee family arriving in Oxford during the 5 year period between 2023 -2028;

4.         Delegate authority to the Head of Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to approve the use of the Home Office grant funding to procure additional person centred support as required; and

5.         Delegate authority to the Head of Housing in consultation with the Head of Financial Services/S151 Officer, the Head of Law and Governance and the Cabinet Member for Housing to allocate the approved budget and enter into contract(s) with a provider(s) for the provision of person centred support.