People Are Furious After Shocking Numbers Reveal How Many Homes Are Being Used to House Asylum Seekers Near a Senior Labour Minister’s Constituency
The number of houses being used to accommodate asylum seekers has risen sharply just a short distance from Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s Birmingham Ladywood constituency, raising fresh concerns among local residents and politicians.
Sandwell, in the West Midlands, has seen a huge increase in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) over the past 10 years. These are properties where several unrelated people live together and share facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Council figures show there were around 835 HMOs in Sandwell in 2015. By last year, that number had climbed to around 4,200, marking a dramatic rise across the borough.
One of the busiest areas is Bearwood Road in Smethwick, where at least 19 HMOs are operating and can house more than 140 people. The growing number of these properties has sparked criticism from some local representatives. One councillor told The Sunday Times that the living conditions were so poor that “we wouldn’t put battery hens in places like this.”
The issue has become part of the wider political debate over immigration and housing. During his victory speech after the Makerfield by-election, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said many people had raised concerns with him about what they see as an unfair immigration system. He criticised what he described as a “cut-price” approach to housing procurement, saying it had left some communities feeling overwhelmed by the growing number of HMOs.
Many landlords see HMOs as a profitable investment because renting individual rooms to several tenants often brings in more income than letting the property to a single family.
The impact of these conversions has also been felt in other parts of England. Chris Miles and his wife, Brigitte Hardt, who have lived in Eastleigh, Hampshire, for more than two decades, said they were shocked after the three-bedroom home next door was sold following the death of their elderly neighbour. The new owners converted the house into a six-bedroom HMO.
The couple said they only discovered the plans after the landlord applied for permission to build a larger kitchen. While they were allowed to comment on the extension, they said they had no say over the decision to turn the house into an HMO.
Neighbours later raised concerns about increased noise, parking problems and the effect on the local community. Feeling they had little power to stop similar developments, residents launched a campaign urging the local council to introduce an Article 4 Direction. This planning rule removes automatic development rights, meaning landlords must apply for planning permission before converting family homes into HMOs.
The rise in HMOs comes as the Labour government has said it wants to reduce the use of taxpayer-funded hotels for asylum seekers. Ministers have suggested using HMOs and military accommodation instead as part of their long-term housing plans.
The debate has also expanded into wider concerns about immigration and the economy. Figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Bank of England have been cited by critics, who argue that high levels of immigration could affect wage growth over the coming years.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said high immigration has consequences across society and claimed many British workers feel the impact through lower wages.
He accused Labour of failing to prepare for the pressures created by immigration and said a future Conservative government would introduce a legally binding annual immigration cap, tighten settlement rules, close visa loopholes and make it harder for temporary visa holders to remain in the UK permanently.
The growing number of HMOs, particularly in areas already facing housing pressures, is expected to remain a major political issue as the government continues to reform its asylum accommodation system and local communities call for greater control over housing developments.
