Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which local authorities are participating in asylum seeking housing pilots; and how much funding has been allocated to those pilots.

This Government is committed to ending the use of asylum hotels. To support that goal, we are investing £500 million in a new, more sustainable asylum accommodation model, developed in consultation with local authorities. This will help make available basic alternative accommodation so that it can be used on a temporary basis to house asylum seekers waiting for their cases to be processed. Our ambition is that this investment will leave a lasting legacy of housing for local communities and reduce pressure on local housing markets.

This new funding will complement ongoing Home Office reforms to the asylum accommodation estate, including pilot schemes to repurpose derelict buildings and to develop other community-led alternatives to the use of hotels.

MHCLG and the Home Office are working closely with councils and devolved partners to co-design this approach. Funding allocations to local authorities are yet to be finalised and will be confirmed in due course.