ASSIST Sheffield

What problem did the project address?

ASSIST bought and renovated the house, including making energy improvements. The property was purchased to be a home for four people who had been made destitute following the refusal of their asylum claims. At this point, those in receipt from Home Office asylum support have all subsistence funding withdrawn, are refused the right to work, are subject to no recourse to public fund conditions, and are evicted from their accommodation.

ASSIST directly prevents the street destitution of people in crises by providing direct material support (money and housing) as well as person-centred trauma-informed casework and advocacy.

Demand for both elements of ASSIST’s service are growing: Sheffield is the largest asylum dispersal area in South Yorkshire, with around 1,246 residents receiving asylum support. In the last year, the refusal rate for initial asylum decisions has risen from 24% to 53%. Reflecting this, there has recently been an increase in people seeking ASSIST support, with 69 clients joining their services last year, a 116% increase on the year prior, and surpassing the number of clients who have safely moved on.

What did the project do?

The funding provided by Quaker Housing Trust went towards the funding the acquisition and renovation of a house on Sheffield, to be utilised as accommodation for people seeking sanctuary in the UK. ASSIST purchased the property in May 2024 and began renovation works. The first residents moved into the project in December 2024, with some works ongoing during that time until the final resident moved in in July 2025.

What impact did it have on people experiencing homelessness?

This project has had a substantial impact on people with no recourse to public funds who have been made destitute following the refusal of their asylum claim.

When a person’s asylum claim is refused, they are evicted from Home Office accommodation and benefits are withdrawn. With no right to work and having fled war, persecution, or torture, many find themselves destitute, isolated, and traumatised in a country they hoped would offer sanctuary.

People refused asylum in the UK experience poverty in its most absolute form. The uncertainty of unstable living arrangements and a total lack of income have a severe effect on both physical and mental health. The houses we run provide not just shelter, but a sense of stability and security. As one former client observed:

“You can feel normal if you have accommodation; once you’re displaced, everything gets displaced.”

ASSIST is the only organisation in Sheffield providing accommodation to people whose asylum claims have been refused. Without their housing, over 100 people each year would be forced to sleep rough or sofa-surf, making them vulnerable to violence, crime and exploitation.

Without the property funded by Quaker Housing Trust, around8 people each year would be forced into destitution. Each house we provide is more than just a physical space: It is an act of radical hospitality — a demonstration of solidarity, community care, and the belief in human dignity.

Testimonial from ASSIST Sheffield

“ASSIST is grateful to the trustees of the Quaker Housing Trust for its solidarity with our work and our community - particularly at such a divisive and harrowing time for people seeking sanctuary in the UK. This project would not have been possible without your support.”

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