Outrage over plea for more multi-asylum seeker homes

MORE migrants should be crammed into homes across the country despite concerns over community cohesion, ministers have been told.

- BY MICHAEL KNOWLES

Asylum accommodation provider Serco wants the Home Office to force town halls to accept more HMOs houses of multiple occupancy in their areas.

The company said stuffing “three to six” people into a single property “offers the best value for money” for taxpayers.

But the claim sparked fury, with politicians warning of an influx of “unwanted arrivals” in cities, towns and villages already struggling to cope with thousands of asylum seekers and refugees.

Serco told the Public Accounts Committee: “The nature of the current cohort means that HMOs for three to six occupants offer the best value for money for dispersed accommodation.

“However, we note community concerns about the wider proliferation of HMOs, resulting in increased adoption by local authorities of Article 4 restrictions, limiting our ability to procure HMOs.