The council had previously expressed its desire to help Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Enfield Council has been awarded £7million in government funding to house families including refugees.

Council leader Ergin Erbil said this week that a council-owned company would be delivering a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) funded property acquisition programme to rehouse refugees from Afghanistan, under the government’s resettlement programme, as well as local families in temporary accommodation.

The grant will cover the purchase of 33 homes, which will be completed by March next year. Extra money from City Hall, as well as the council’s own ‘Right to Buy’ receipts, will cover the cost of a further 30 homes this year.

The council had previously expressed its desire to help refugees fleeing the Taliban after the group seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The government currently operates the Afghan Resettlement Programme to provide assistance and grants.

Council-owned company Housing Gateway Limited (HGL) offers shorthold tenancies to enable the council to house homeless people in temporary accommodation.

Cllr Erbil told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday (15th): “Housing Gateway continues to support the council by providing good-quality, affordable homes and reducing the need for expensive temporary accommodation.

“This is one of the best things our borough does, we save a lot of money and we provide good, quality housing to our residents. This was one of the ways we had to adapt to tackle the housing crisis caused by the previous Tory government.

“I think we’re doing a great job here, for example HGL is delivering strategic housing programmes including £7m funding to buy homes for our refugees, families in temporary accommodation, plus 30 more homes using other funding sources.”

Sabri Ozaydin, the council’s cabinet member for environment and placemaking, asked the leader how the company was “helping the council deliver better value for money” when it came to housing.

In response, Cllr Erbil said: “The company’s model allows us to maintain control over housing standards and costs ensuring public money is used efficiently and effectively and for local families in need.

“By reducing the use of expensive nightly paid accommodation and investing in long-term housing, HGL is helping the council save money while improving homes for residents.”

Associate cabinet member Chris James asked what the growth in HGL’s housing portfolio “means for Enfield residents”.

Cllr Erbil said: “The expansion of HGL’s portfolio means more families in Enfield now have access to safe, stable and affordable homes.

“It also means less families are placed in emergency or unsuitable accommodation as you know during the housing crisis due to underfunding from the previous Tory government councils like ours were forced to put families in accommodation we wouldn’t want to put them in

“This growth supports our wider ambition to provide long term housing solutions that meet the needs of our residents and reduce the social and financial cost of homelessness.”

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