With asylum hotels costing the taxpayer £8m every day, and the government looking for alternatives, we wanted to know where the plans are up to for Huddersfield’s HD1 site.
In the Summer, over 160 students at the University of Huddersfield were forced to scramble to find alternative accommodation when the Home Office took over the 405-bed HD1 complex to house asylum seekers.
The ‘luxury’ flats are a four-minute drive from the University and had 168 students signed up ready to begin their tenancy at the start of the academic year. The managing agent of the property, Prestige Student Living, said the decision was ‘beyond their control’.
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As the government is looking to lessen its reliance on using hotels for housing asylum seekers, closures are on the way, with people currently housed at over 50 Asylum Hotels to be transferred to alternative sites in January.
With this in mind, we asked the Home Office for more details on the plans for the HD1 site. We asked how many people will be housed in the accommodation, when they will be moving in, and how long the accommodation is anticipated to be used for this purpose.
While specific details were not given, a Home Office spokesperson said: “We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country over recent years.
“We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options to reduce the use of unacceptable hotels which cost £8m a day. The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process.”
Before any asylum seekers can move in, planning permission must be obtained and the site must meet legal and building regulations.
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