Accommodation
The Boaz Trust offers a unique and life-changing accommodation service to destitute asylum seekers, and is the largest organisation in the country to do this.
We provide accommodation in three different ways.
Houses
We currently manage ten houses across Greater Manchester, housing up to 45 individuals at any one time. Eight of the houses are for destitute asylum seekers whose claims have been refused, and two are for refugees who have recently received Leave to Remain in the UK. The reason we continue to support refugees is that they often struggle to afford their own accommodation in the first few weeks and months after getting refugee status. Any profit from the housing benefit they receive goes back into maintaining the other houses.
Most of our houses are loaned to us by generous supporters. The supporter retains ownership and allows Boaz to use the property free of charge. We then select the residents, furnish and maintain the properties, and pay the bills. Two of our houses are owned by our friends at Green Pastures Housing, who then lease them out to us.
If you have money to invest, or savings in a bank or building society, why not consider putting it into Green Pastures, earmarked ‘for the use of the Boaz Trust’? Your money is still attracting interest, and benefiting asylum seekers at the same time. Get in touch for more info.
Hosting
The Boaz Trust has a network of volunteer host families in Greater Manchester (currently around 45). These generous people offer accommodation to destitute asylum seekers in their spare rooms. Our scheme is flexible, fitting to our host families needs. Some hosts do emergency hosting for a few days, other host for a few weeks, other people are able to offer a room for months.
Hosts are checked for their suitability and matched with appropriate guests. Hosts and guests agree the ground-rules for a placement in advance. The guest might need to leave in the morning when the host does & return at a set time for an evening meal, or perhaps the guest stays in the home during the day. The guest might prepare meals independently, or take turns cooking the main meal, help out with household jobs etc.
We are always on the look out for more hosts- this really is a vital and life-saving role. To find out more about becoming a Boaz Host please email us or give us a ring on 0161 202 1056.
Night Shelter
Between November and April, in partnership with churches across the city and the British Red Cross, the Boaz Trust runs a night shelter for male destitute asylum seekers who would otherwise be street homeless. This is a unique and much-needed resource, and we’re now in our 4th year of provision!
The night shelter is hosted in a different church hall each night of the week. Volunteers from the local community help out with providing hot food, bedding and breakfast for these guests, and we accommodate up to 12 asylum seekers each night in this way.
We’re very grateful to the Red Cross for supplying the majority of the funding for this year’s Night Shelter. We are also extremely grateful to all the churches and volunteers who keep our night shelters running; there are over 100 people who help out with this each week which is truly amazing!
If you want to get involved in the work of the night shelter, or you know of a venue that we could use in the future, please email us.
