City of Sanctuary Sheffield wishes to respond to recent reporting in the Sheffield Star regarding Sheffield City Council’s (SCC) approval of a revised Housing Allocations Policy.
The report contains unverified claims made by a councillor that City of Sanctuary Sheffield supports, or does not object to, the recent changes to the Housing Allocations Policy. This is not an accurate reflection of our position.
Our position
While we welcome some of the proposed changes, we strongly oppose any policy that creates a two‑tier system of access to housing. Alongside 30 local partner organisations, we have submitted multiple detailed recommendations to SCC throughout the development of this policy. The majority of these recommendations remain unimplemented.
City of Sanctuary Sheffield was founded on the principle that it is possible to create a city that is safe and welcoming for all. Achieving this requires a policy framework that reflects that ambition in practice, not just in name.
Disproportionate impact on refugees
Our formal analysis of the revised Housing Allocations Policy identifies significant systemic risks for refugees and people seeking sanctuary. In its current form, the policy is likely to systematically disadvantage refugees, increasing the risk of homelessness, destitution, and exploitation within this already vulnerable community.
Key areas of concern include:
1. Local connection requirements
The proposed three‑year local connection rule creates an avoidable barrier for newly recognised refugees, who by definition cannot meet long‑term residency requirements due to displacement. This risks excluding refugees from the housing register and undermines the Council’s duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act.
2. Family reunion cases
The policy is ill‑equipped to respond to the immediate and complex housing needs of refugee family reunion cases. Without clear exemptions or bespoke assessment pathways, families face a real risk of homelessness upon arrival in Sheffield.
3. Asset and eligibility rules
Disqualification based on property ownership abroad fails to recognise the realities of conflict and displacement. Assets are often inaccessible, unsafe, or impossible to liquidate. Applying these rules without trauma‑informed assessment risks penalising people for circumstances entirely beyond their control.
4. Equality and two‑tier access
Taken together, these measures risk creating a two‑tier housing system, where access is weighted by historical residency rather than need. This raises serious concerns under the Public Sector Equality Duty, particularly in relation to race and other protected characteristics.
Wider risks to the city
Our analysis also highlights the likelihood that the revised policy will externalise homelessness and social harm rather than resolve it. Excluding vulnerable groups from the housing register without viable alternatives risks:
- Increased hidden homelessness and rough sleeping
- Greater exposure to exploitation, including modern slavery
- Additional pressure on voluntary, community, and faith sector services
Reducing the size of the housing register must not be treated as a proxy for reducing housing need.
The need for collaboration and review
Sheffield became the UK’s first City of Sanctuary because of a shared commitment to dignity, fairness, and inclusion. We raise our concerns in that same spirit of collaboration and shared responsibility.
We continue to call for:
- Clear exemptions for newly recognised refugees
- Trauma‑informed assessment of eligibility and assets
- Robust equality impact monitoring and regular review
- Formalised partnerships with voluntary and community organisations
- Success measures rooted in social justice, not just waiting‑list reduction
A shared responsibility
We urge Sheffield City Council to work with us and our partners to revisit the elements of this policy that risk causing harm. Let us together rediscover the principles that inspired Sheffield’s historic decision to become the UK’s first City of Sanctuary and ensure they meaningfully guide our housing policies today.
Click here to read the full recommendations.