Lobbying efforts by Portsmouth City Council have resulted in assurances that no additional homes in the city will be used for asylum dispersal accommodation.

Last year the council declared a housing crisis following demand for temporary accommodation rising by 54% and the costs for it increasing by 84%. Since then it has taken a stance that the city is hosting more than its share of people seeking asylum and the Government should look to place people elsewhere.

That message has borne fruit as Clearsprings Ready Homes, the company that manages the Government’s asylum accommodation in the south of England, has assured the council it will not be looking for additional asylum dispersal accommodation in Portsmouth, instead it plans to maintain and manage the number of properties it currently uses in the city for this purpose.

Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council. said: “We’ve consistently said the Government should look at other areas before placing more people in Portsmouth and they now seem to be listening. We understand asylum is a national issue and we will support those the Government places in our city but we have a housing crisis and already fulfil our share.

“We have been told currently no additional properties in Portsmouth will be used for asylum dispersal accommodation and will keep reinforcing to Government the need to stick to that policy.”

The Government runs a national scheme to distribute people seeking asylum across the country. Asylum accommodation in Portsmouth is commissioned by the Government and managed by a company called Clearsprings Ready Homes on its behalf. Portsmouth City Council has no say over who is placed in the city through the national asylum dispersal scheme.

The latest available data shows that in June 2025 the Government was housing 617 people seeking asylum in dispersal accommodation in Portsmouth. This is in line with the average number over the last two years. Full data can be seen on the Government website: Regional and local authority data on immigration groups – GOV.UK

Councils play no role in housing people seeking asylum, it is entirely managed by the Government.

If an asylum claim is accepted the person becomes a refugee and is allowed to live in the UK permanently. Refugee status does not give someone any additional benefits from the council; they will be treated the same as anyone else and assessed based on their needs as an individual.

Since April 2025 Portsmouth City Council has homed three refugee households, out of a total of 623 households homed across the city during that time.