Nationwide charity Hope at Home is proud to highlight its work in supporting refugee survivors of modern slavery as part of Refugee Week 2024.
Between April 2022 and March 2023, 14% of Hope at Home’s referrals were for survivors with refugee status – with only one person experiencing rough sleeping. However, from April 2023 to today, this figure has risen to a huge 58%, with 31 individuals rough sleeping at the time of referral.
This is an alarming trend and demonstrates how urgent the need for safe and stable housing for newly recognised refugees has become. Many refugee survivors are evicted from Home Office accommodation – without any access to Universal Credit or sufficient funds for privately rented accommodation.
Hope at Home addresses this critical need by providing safe homes for survivors of modern slavery via a network of volunteer hosts. These hosts offer them stability and the chance to rebuild their lives. Hope at Home believes that no survivor of modern slavery should ever sleep on the streets and aims to prevent homelessness and re-trafficking by training and supporting their hosts—ordinary individuals or families with a spare bedroom—to welcome a survivor into their homes.
Modern slavery takes many forms, including sexual exploitation, forced labour, criminal exploitation and domestic servitude. Survivors face violence, threats and destitution. When they escape exploitation, they often encounter street homelessness and poverty, making them vulnerable to re-trafficking.
A safe place to live is vital for refugee survivors, who are experiencing destitution and street homelessness at an unprecedented rate. With the foundation of a stable home, survivors can rebuild their lives, pursue education, find work, volunteer, develop community and move on into independent and safe housing.
“Refugees who have faced the horrors of modern slavery deserve a chance to live in safety and dignity,” says Helen Hodgson, Operations Director at Hope at Home. “Our mission is to ensure they do not face homelessness or further exploitation.”
Hope at Home is calling on the community to support their efforts, either by exploring the option of hosting or sponsoring a room, which will help the charity to continue providing vital services in the lives of those who have suffered unimaginable hardships.
