A London council has arranged to house Afghan refugees for free in an area where the average house price is £1 million.
Kensington and Chelsea Council is offering spaces in four two-bedroom houses off Portobello Road in Notting Hill to families fleeing the Taliban.
The Conservative-led council has also placed two hotels on standby to receive those fleeing Afghanistan and is urging housing associations and other private property owners to help.
A council spokesperson said the authority would usually make around £80,000 from the four properties.
The average property in Notting Hill currently costs a little more than £1 million, according to Foxtons estate agents.
The houses for Afghan refugees are located just off Portobello Road
(Image: Kensington & Chelsea Council)
A bathroom at one of the properties being offered to Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban
They added that letting refugees live in them free of charge would not impact the council’s housing waiting lists because they were earmarked for private rent.
Council leader Elizabeth Campbell said: “Of course, this can put stresses and strains on our support services, and it is difficult to rehouse people permanently in such a dense area of London where housing is scarce.
“But we must do what we can, and we must do it quickly. I have made it clear to partners in government that we have accommodation and services and we stand ready to help.
“My hope is that others will step in and contribute over the coming weeks.”
The authority plans to make long-term arrangements for the needs of refugees once they have been housed in the borough.
The council would usually make £80,000 a year from renting the properties
(Image: Kensington & Chelsea Council)
A council spokesperson said: “The scenes we have witnessed in Afghanistan have got ever distressing and ever more desperate as the days have gone by, and the council is eager to contribute to the resettlement scheme for refugees flying out of Kabul at the earliest opportunity.”
The Taliban gained control of the Afghan capital of Kabul in August after the president fled the country and US and foreign forces began withdrawing troops in July.
The UK government has pledged to house 20,000 refugees fleeing the country and plans to house 5,000 within the first year of the scheme.
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