Host Derby provides temporary accommodation with volunteer hosts in their own homes, offering a lifeline for vulnerable individuals. Hosts are supported to welcome an individual in their home, from a few days to a few months. Guests are supported to access the right help and re-engage with the asylum system, and move on with their lives. All hosts receive training and are matched with the right person who needs their support. Each host family can decide how long they host people for, and how often they take a new guest.

"I have a spare room and I really wanted to do something to help people in difficulty. It was really worthwhile and I know my guest really appreciated it" - Host

"The support from Host Derby was great, it was so good to know someone was there if you needed help with anything" - Host

"I stayed with a really nice and good family. They helped me so much, I didn't know people could be so kind" - Guest

Why?
Those seeking asylum in the UK have experienced untold horrors in their home countries, fled their homes and travelled with great difficulty across the world to find safety here. Yet many find their claims for asylum rejected and are left homeless, penniless and without the right to work or support themselves in the UK. There are various reasons why people are refused asylum in the UK, including poor legal representation, lack of material evidence to support their claim (e.g. not having access to original paperwork or IDs from their home country), and poor decision-making by the Home Office. We know that many individuals who have been supported to find new solicitors or access new evidence have overturned their original asylum refusal. Having a safe place to stay is vital to those who are trying to reapply for asylum, and that's where Host Derby plays an important part for these individuals.

Between June 2016 and May 2017, The British Red Cross Identified 204 destitute asylum seekers and refugees living in Derby - destitution is defined as having no access to statutory support or accommodation, and with no right to work. Some people end up street homeless, whilst others find insecure accommodation, often in poor living conditions (e.g. sleeping on sofas or floors in friends’ houses).

Self Referral