Afghan families to come to live in Tunbridge Wells

The Council has pledged to help find homes for five Afghan families as part of the Government’s Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.

We were due to announce that we would be helping find a home for an Afghan translator and their family under the Afghan Locally Employed Staff Relocation scheme but given the worsening situation in the country we paused to see if it was possible to offer assistance to more people.

Councillor Andy Fairweather, Cabinet member for Communities and Wellbeing said: ‘I think residents who are aware of what’s been happening in Afghanistan will agree we have an obligation to help these people, many of whom have risked their lives to help our troops. I am very pleased we’re going to be able to help more than one family this year. It is the right thing to do.’

The families will be living in private rented accommodation.

We have made a commitment to finding homes for five families and we have also said we’ll do our best to help a further five if at all possible. As well as this support for Afghan families we are also fulfilling our ongoing commitment to refugees from other parts of the world and will be helping two other refugee families this year.

The Council has previously helped Afghan interpreters settle in the area and has housed and supported Syrian refugee families since 2015.

Offers of help

We are very grateful for the wonderful response we have had from people wanting to help or donate – thank you.

We are working with local group Tunbridge Wells Welcomes Refugees to coordinate offers of help and support, except offers of accommodation, if you would like to help or donate they can be contacted via trustees@tw-welcomesrefugees.org

Are you a private landlord – can you help?

We are grateful to private landlords who have helped with the resettlement programme previously and would be pleased to hear from other landlords who have family sized homes and who would like to support this initiative.

Accommodation for the people we are helping should be self-contained properties and so with regret we are not able to accept offers of rooms in shared houses.

Landlords who would like to help should contact the Council’s Housing Team on 01892 526121.