Nearly twice as many asylum seekers are staying in taxpayer-funded homes instead of hotels as the government lures private landlords with offers of five years of guaranteed rent.
Public anger over immigration has focused over the use of hotels to house migrants who are waiting to hear the outcome of their asylum claims. A total of 38,000 people were staying in hotels by the end of December at a cost of £5.5million per day.
But this was eclipsed by the 66,000 kept in 'dispersal accommodation', which mainly consists of privately rented homes shared by people at once.
While the Home Office insists this is a cheaper option than hotels, it has prompted anger among Britons who are themselves struggling with a lack of social housing.
And their frustration has only grown following recent revelations that some of the homes being reserved for asylum seekers are costly new-build properties.
