This Tuesday, member organisations of NACCOM (The No Accommodation Network) gathered for their annual conference and Annual General Meeting. This year’s conference focused on promoting pathways out of destitution through partnerships, provision and policy change, and attendees participated in a number of workshops throughout the day that covered a range of topics; from exploring different accommodation models to ‘Lessons from Windrush in Championing Long-term Change’. Naomi Turner, JRS UK’s Communities of Hospitality Coordinator, said: “It was a great opportunity to meet others, who work with accommodation provision for asylum seekers nationwide, and to share some of the challenges we can face, and also to pool advice and knowledge.”
Giving the conference’s key note address, Mariam Yusuf, a resident of a Boaz Trust house in Manchester who was honoured as Woman of the Year in 2016 by the Women on the Move awards, spoke of how people can be built up or destroyed by destitution, and how to draw strength in difficult times. Naomi continued: “Mariam’s keynote speech was very inspiring. I was moved by her reflections on how hard it is to be in a state of waiting for so long, unable to have your ‘time to shine’ and how destitution destroys lives.”
Sophie Cartwright, JRS UK’s Policy Officer who also attended the conference, said: “Against a policy context which actually manufactures homelessness among those who have come here for sanctuary, it gives hope to gather with others committed to challenging this grave injustice. It was a great opportunity to share ideas together.”
NACCOM brings together organisations from across the UK who work to prevent destitution amongst people seeking asylum, refugees and other migrants. The ‘Members Marketplace’ offered the opportunity for members to display and explain their projects as well as learn more about other similar housing programmes. Naomi finished by saying: “It was overall an uplifting day, to see the incredibly important work that is going on around the country to support destitute asylum seekers- but also reflecting on what we can do via policy to put an end to the life-destroying destitution that affects so many people that we work with.”
Find out more about JRS UK’s At Home hosting programme
