housing: we want to be heard
By Obaida and Shahab, Youth Ambassadors
Young refugees in Kent are in serious difficulties. There are several major issues that affect us and one of these is housing. Here we share what we have learned and experienced around this subject and what we think needs to change.
As young people who have come to the UK alone, many of us were placed into care when we arrived. This gave us some stability for a while, but the real struggles began when we turned 19. That’s when accommodation support ended and we were expected to move out and live independently - without the resources, support systems, or money that young people from different backgrounds might have.
Many of us were still learning English, figuring out how things work in a new country and trying to recover from the trauma of our journeys. Yet, at the same time, we were asked to find a place to live in one of the most expensive and difficult housing systems in Europe.
When we leave care, the first option we are given is usually to find private rented housing. But this is incredibly hard. In the last 12 months to January 2025 average rents increased to £1,375 (an increase of 8.7% in this period). In comparison, the average monthly rental payment in the UK in 2015 was £744. Locally, in Canterbury, the cost of private rents rose to an average of £1,210 in May 2025, an annual increase of 5.3% from £1,149 in May 2024.
That’s way more than we can afford, especially when many of us are still studying or not yet working full-time. On top of that, most landlords ask for a guarantor - someone who will pay if we can’t. But many of us don’t have family here, or anyone else to do that for us. It feels like the system is set up to exclude us.
There is supposed to be something called social or affordable housing, but there’s not enough of it. Decades ago, a lot more housing in the UK was owned by councils and available at lower rents. But now, it’s harder and harder to get. Today, there are 1.4 million fewer social homes than there were in 1980, and in March 2024, there were 1.33 million households on local authority housing register waiting lists.
In Kent alone, there are thousands of people on waiting lists for social housing. And in Canterbury, where KRAN is mainly based, the numbers are some of the highest. We’ve heard stories of people waiting years. For us, this means that even when we are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, we don’t qualify for help quickly enough.
To understand this problem better, we have worked with local charities including Porchlight and Catching Lives and local companies like Canterbury Local Link, all of whom support people experiencing homelessness in our community. They confirmed what we already knew from experience - that young refugees are often left behind by the system. Many of us don’t know how to apply for housing support, or we don’t meet the requirements. Some of us end up sofa surfing, moving between friends’ places, or even sleeping outside.
We also discovered that being a care leaver makes you more likely to become homeless. Research shows, one third of young people leaving care become homeless within two years. For refugee care leavers, we expect the numbers are even higher, but the exact statistics aren't clear, because there hasn’t been enough research. We believe this needs to change too.
We are calling for urgent action: first, we need better preparation for independence, made specifically for refugee young people. Many of us never had the chance to learn about renting, managing money, or living alone while we were in care. If we get support earlier and in a way that reflects our situations, we’ll be more ready when the time comes.
Second, there needs to be more understanding from the government and other authorities about the real barriers we face. Even when we try our best, we can’t just compete in the housing market like everyone else. We need solutions that take into account our lack of guarantors, our limited income, and the fact that we are doing everything without the family support others might have.
Lastly, we believe the UK needs to build more affordable housing, especially for vulnerable young people. It is unfair that we’re told to be independent when the tools and resources we need are not even available.
We wrote this blog because we want to be heard. We want people to understand what we’re going through - not as a problem to be fixed, but as young people who are strong, determined and ready to build a future. We just need a system that sees us, supports us and gives us a fair chance.
Thank you for reading our story. We hope you’ll join us in calling for change.
What can you do to:
If you own property and would be interested in renting to our young people, please contact Red, our Housing and Legal Caseworker: red@kran.org.uk. We are happy to facilitate a tenancy between prospective landlords and our young people.
Donate to help us help those who are impacted by homelessness.
Write to your MP, asking for more affordable housing.