Refugees are being forced to stay in crowded conditions and a council has said families in Three Rivers will be prioritised for social housing.

Three Rivers District Council said it will look for “temporary accommodation outside the regular social housing list” in response to the refugee crisis in Europe.

Watford MP Richard Harrington was announced as the minister for Syrian Refugees in September and Elected Mayor Baroness Thornhill says “Watford will stand up and deliver” on helping to tackle the crisis.

But the ruling Liberal Democrat authority in Three Rivers said they “cannot overlook our responsibility to large number of residents” on the housing waiting list.

Andrea Hudson, committee member of the Watford and Three Rivers Refugee Partnership, said there is one case in Watford where four members of the same family are living in a one-bedroom room.

She said: “It is a very difficult topic. We help with some groups but social services do not seem to have a great amount of accommodation they can offer.

“Maybe hostel accommodation would be suitable for some refugees. It would only be on a temporary basis. You cannot offer them permanent accommodation straight away.

“Cases vary. We have people who are over-stayers who had visas but no longer have visas.

“Then we also have people who have recently come from Syria.”

“There are as many as 60 families we are helping. They have already got accommodation. Not as good as they would wish, but it is some form of shelter, maybe a cramped room with four members of a family in one room in a bed and breakfast.”

91 people have been declared homeless in Three Rivers in the last 12 months.

The authority produced a report in October 2014 that high private sector rents and a lack of social housing would make it “extremely challenging” for them to tackle homelessness in the area.

656 households are waiting for another social housing property in Three Rivers, a spokesman for the authority has confirmed.

Anne Peat, who set up the petition calling for Three Rivers to take in ten families, said: "I think their response is understandable.

"They have got a problem with housing and I know they have had to send people who are homeless out of the district in order to provide accommodation.

"I am really pleased they are looking for alternatives other than the regular housing list. I think that is the way it is going to go."

Three Rivers District Council leader Cllr Ann Shaw said: “We all feel enormous sympathy for the refugees and will do our best to offer assistance. However, we cannot overlook our responsibility to the large number of local residents on the housing waiting list and the increasing problem of homelessness here.

“We will try to identify temporary accommodation outside the regular social housing list and the government is co-ordinating a large scale programme to provide for the refugees.

“Clearly we have horrific waiting lists in an area like this. We do not want to penalise local residents but we need to know what the government is planning before we act.”

A petition which is calling on Three Rivers District Council to house 10 families has been signed by more than 130 people.