Lincolnshire’s housing stock is being put under serious pressure by an influx of migrant workers from Portugal.
An estimated 500 Portuguese people have come to the county’s Boston area in search of manual work on farms and in factories. Housing associations in the area have warned that local support systems are unprepared for their arrival.

Alycia Glaves, Boston Mayflower Housing Association’s manager of new initiatives, said: “It’s not acute yet, but if things progress as they have, we could face a housing shortage.

“We are ill-prepared to provide support to individuals coming from Portugal. Communication is difficult and they are often unaware of the tenancies they are entering into.”

Boston Mayflower, which owns roughly 5400 homes, has housed around 20 Portuguese families over the past year. Waiting times for a Boston Mayflower house range from three to six months.

We are ill-prepared to support individuals coming from Portugal

Alycia Glaves, Boston Mayflower HA

The workers were attracted by adverts in the Portuguese press. Local labour agencies with connections in Portugal are thought to be coordinating their arrival, but many still end up in unsuitable private-rented accommodation.

As EU citizens, they are entitled to social housing and receive housing benefit upon being granted a National Insurance number.

Source

Housing Today

Postscript

Boston Mayflower is looking at obtaining funding for additional support services through a Housing Corporation community and enabling grant.