Room for Refugees
Refugee Hosting Programme UK
(In development in the United States)
Thank you for your interest in hosting a family, individual or child from a refugee background in your home or property.
Please register your offer to host below.
Room for Refugees was pioneered in Scotland by a small charity called Positive Action in Housing (SC027577) in 2002. The programme is fully operational in Scotland, England and Wales and assists groups and organisations assisting refugees to make fast referrals online in order to access potential hosts. We are in the process of developing the programme in the United States. Once a person or family in need is referred online, we then screen and match refugees with potential hosts in almost any location you can imagine.
As of January 2018, we have over 6,800 registered hosts. We have successfully arranged over 60,000 nights of shelter. Hosts and guests go through a screening process. We work in partnership with over 360 caseworkers from refugee and homelessness organisations. These include the British Red Cross, Refugee Council, Shelter, Scottish Refugee Council. Freedom from Torture, Migrants Organise, Helen Bamber foundation, PAFRAS and others. We always need and welcome new organisations to partner up with us in different geographical locations.
We estimate that government and charities have saved over £3 million in the cost of hosting refugees because of this programme. The pastoral support afforded is immeasurable. It has forged lifelong bonds between human beings and transformed lives. Elderly hosts find long term companions, Young families have adopted grandmothers, Older couples have adopted surrogate sons and daughters into their homes and helped them with their studies and future career. For guests themselves, we have seen people move their legal cases forward and gain refugee status because they have a safe space in someone homes from which to focus on their cases, rather than spend that time on daily survival.
This humanitarian resource has the capacity to make a life changing impact for:those affected by the Syrian refugee crisis
- unaccompanied child refugees in the UK and Europe,
- refugees and those seeking asylum already in the UK and at risk of destitution
- long term destitute refugees who may have given up hope, and whom society has forgotten
The main purpose of this Programme is to offer free temporary shelter, pastoral support and build bonds of friendship and care between human beings while refugees attempt to find peace and stability in order regularise their status, rebuild their lives and become stable, productive citizens of tomorrow. This is especially important at a time when governments are building walls and fermenting anti-immigrant feeling.
Room for Refugees is not just a hosting programme, it is also a growing worldwide movement of people who can collectively make change, and we are slowly building networks where hosts can meet and exchange ideas on how to support refugees locally. We encourage proactive casework, and crisis grants for food, travel, and humanitarian assistance for individuals.
For more information, please go to www.roomforrefugees.com or www.wehaveroom.org.uk or email home@positiveactionh.org
We now need some information about you, the accommodation you're offering, and the kind of person/s you are willing to host. Its great if you can take pictures of your home too. Don't worry, all of this information is kept strictly confidential.
Register now