The council’s cabinet is set to approve the adoption of the revised homelessness and rough sleeping strategy 2025-2030 at its meeting on Monday.
It includes a section on ‘emerging pressures’ on homelessness and housing.
In this section, it says Warrington currently has two ‘contingency’ hotels and 149 bed spaces ‘across a collection of HMOs’, managed on behalf of the Home Office by a private contractor.
“Asylum seekers in the hotels and HMOs are awaiting a decision on their asylum application,” it adds.
“If the application is successful and they are given leave to remain in the UK, they are served what is known as a notice to quit, generally within a very short timeframe.
“As part of this process, they are advised that they need to present as homeless to the local authority where they have been living in asylum accommodation.”
According to the document, the numbers of households presenting as homeless after leaving asylum seeker accommodation totalled 98 so far in 2024-25 (April to July), 61 in 2023-24, nine in 2022-23, and seven in 2021-22.
Furthermore, in information highlighted in a ‘budget monitoring’ document related to homelessness, it states that there are currently 234 people in the two ‘contingency’ hotels.
In a report to cabinet for its meeting on Monday, it says: “Cabinet approval to create a housing investment fund in October 2024, in addition to a virement of available Government funding originally allocated relevant to specific refugee schemes, Ukraine and asylum beds, has been facilitated to allow the growth directorate to progress targeted delivery of additional housing as part of the council’s temporary accommodation stock.
“This will reduce reliance on hotels and ensure the council is legally compliant in relation to placement of homeless families.”