Recommendation 36

We recommend that the Home Office set out the steps it will take to overcome barriers to the delivery of a fairer distribution of accommodation and improve engagement with local authorities on how best to address barriers to procurement. Local authorities are the experts on their areas, and the Home Office should consult them on price caps for procuring accommodation. The Home Office should work with local authorities and Strategic Migration Partnerships to understand where spending on asylum accommodation can be invested in local housing and bring benefits to local communities, such as through renovating existing housing, repurposing appropriate buildings, fixing void accommodation, or building new housing. The Home Office should ensure that the future contracts provide them with stronger levers to direct providers to procure accommodation in line with Home Office requirements. (Recommendation, Paragraph 155) 104 Pressure on local services