4.14.4.6. Housing

Beneficiaries of international protection continued to face several challenges in transitioning from reception to mainstream accommodation, for example in Belgium, Cyprus,1238  Greece, France,1239  Ireland1240  and the Netherlands. For example, in Greece, HumanRights360 reported on some of the practical barriers that beneficiaries face in transitioning from reception to mainstream housing. Since March 2020, recognised beneficiaries must move out from reception 30 days after their recognition. However, they only become entitled to rent allowance with a registered housing contract of at least 6 months and a bank account, which is different from the one where they received financial support during reception. In addition, beneficiaries often have difficulties in communicating with apartment owners due to the lack of sufficient Greek.1241  Indeed, a policy brief developed in the frames of the RESPOND project highlighted that the ESTIA and HELIOS programmes must be linked to prevent homelessness.1242
 
In order to facilitate this transition in Italy, UNHCR, the Association of Legal Studies on Immigration (ASGI) and the National Unitary Union of Tenants and Assignees (SUNIA) published a guide to housing autonomy for beneficiaries of international protection. The guide notes some of the barriers that beneficiaries face in accessing public or private rental markets, including communicating with a potential owner.1243

The Dutch State Secretary for Justice and Security announced in March 2021 that 11,000 beneficiaries of international protection (permit holders or vergunninghouders) should be accommodated in municipalities by the end of 2021. This number was lower than originally expected at the end of 2020 (with an estimated 13,500 persons).1244  To support municipalities in reaching this target, the Integrated Guide for Reception, Housing and Civic Integration was drafted and published in February 2021.1245  The estimates were reviewed in October 2021 for the first half of 2022 and concluded that 10,000 beneficiaries will be in need of housing. Even though many recognised beneficiaries of international protection continued to remain in reception facilities longer than needed, the drop in places was due to fewer people arriving through family reunification1246  (see Section 4.7).

In Portugal, the High Commission for Migration and the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation signed a cooperation protocol to provide adequate access to housing to migrant populations, including to beneficiaries of international protection.1247  To facilitate access to housing, a pilot project was launched by the civil society organisation Association to Support the Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees (AIIR) to promote accommodation and integration of refugee families in rural villages, while guaranteeing living and working conditions.1248