Asylum seekers who have been given refugee status and permission to stay in the UK have only a few weeks before they have to leave the SERCO accomodation. It is important as soon as possible to contact Preston City Council Housing advice service at

Housing Advisory Service, Town Hall,,Lancaster Road,,PR1 2RL

• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone: 01772 906412

No appointment is needed to speak to an adviser. The drop in centre is open

 If you live outside of Preston you will ned to contact the local district Council. For example if you live in Leyland it will be South Ribble Council

 Do not expect the Council to give you a house or flat in the social housing sector. There is a housing crisis in the UK and poperties are scarce. You may be able to register for Select Move and search for and bid for suitable homes, but it often takes years before you are offered a tenancy. You may be offered temporary accommodation, which is usually just a room in a shared house, or hotel. You can also look for a private rented property through a local estate agent such as https://jonescameron.co.uk/. However many landlords are reluctant to take tenants on benefits or low income, and will usually want a large deposit (two months rent) in advance, or you may be able to find a friend or elative with a good income to be your rent guarantor.

When you have found a place to live you may be entitled to claim housing benefit payments from the Council. However these will not usually cover the full cost of rent, so you will need to pay a considerable amount of money every month direct to the landlord.

If your asylum claim has been refused or if you need further help with housing contact  Refugees at Home