Advisers get clearer view of migrant rights

The housing rights website www.housing-rights.info has proved immensely popular since first launched in 2008, with on average 3,000 ‘hits’ each month. It has now been completely rewritten and re-launched to provide an even better guide to housing and housing benefits rights for refugees, migrants and other new arrivals to England.

The new site is being launched by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and is compiled by respected experts Sue Lukes and Sam Lister, edited by John Perry. The guidance on housing benefit is now more comprehensive, and the pages for advisers have been comprehensively extended and now include many examples of case law.

The site now provides extremely clear and comprehensive guidance on entitlements for different types of immigration status, with details on the differences that apply to different kinds of European migrant and other complex issues that arise.

Don Flynn, Director of Migrants’ Rights Network, said: “The website is a terrific up-to-date resource not only for immigration and housing experts but for all migrants who want to know more about their rights and entitlements.”

Vanessa Wilson, Head of Housing Solutions at Medway Council, said: “We have found the website extremely useful – it is a tool that I believe all homeless staff and relevant providers and agencies could use in their day to day work.”

*ENDS*

1.When started in 2008, the site was a joint project between CIH and HACT - the housing action charity.

2.The site was originally funded by the Department of Communities and Local Government; the new site has been financed in part by a grant from the Building and Social Housing Foundation.

3.The website applies only to England, but CIH is actively looking to expand its coverage to Scotland and Wales.