A new role at Wokingham borough council is an “.. invest to save” move, according to the leader of the council.
The new ‘Overseas Arrivals Accommodation Co-ordinator’ role was first advertised last week, and will provide strategic direction for migration in the borough. It will also be responsible for coordinating a council-wide response to the increasing demand.
The application noted: “This post will identify opportunities to prevent and relieve homelessness for this cohort by coordinating bids for funding opportunities, and effectively managing existing migration budgets to ensure that preventative measures are put into place that deliver quantifiable outcomes in service delivery.”
Cllr Stephen Conway, leader of the council and executive member for housing, told Wokingham Today that currently, Wokingham borough has to look after 5,711 different people under different asylum resettlement and asylum schemes.
“The majority of these are from Hong Kong, and mostly they enter into the private rented sector or, in some cases, purchase their own homes.
“We have 526 Ukrainians and 36 Afghan that have been sent to us under dispersal schemes.
“We work with the government but this doesn’t cover the full costs to the borough council.
“We also work with the charity and volunteer sectors, and they do a marvellous job.
“The simple fact is that if the council does not assist, and they present as homeless, then there is a significant cost to us.
“We have recently purchased several properties for this purpose, and that means these homes will become part of the council’s own housing stock once they are no longer needed.
“However, I am keen to stress that these asylum seekers are not in competition for council housing with our local population.”
Applications for the 12-month contracted role, with a salary of between £50,788 to £56,075 per annum, remain open until July 13. The position is fully-funded by a government grant.
