When somebody arrives in the country and requests asylum, they are provided with somewhere to live. They're not entitled to any benefits at this point so they don't have to pay rent and the houses are fully furnished, but usually they need to share accommodation with other families who are also seeking asylum. 

Once someone is granted leave to remain, they're then entitled to benefits and are allocated a council house that they can rent. They can work and claim benefits from this point and their new life in this country can properly begin. However, the house they are given is completely empty, and it's going to be a while before their first payslip arrives.

Thankfully, Carriers of Hope run The Furniture Project. They collect furniture all year round and store it in their warehouse, and when someone is in need of something, they talk to the Furniture Co-ordinator, who records it on a spreadsheet and checks the warehouse inventory. She can then arrange delivery if the furniture is in stock in the warehouse.

If it isn't in stock, then one of the following will happen. If it's an item that Carriers can buy cheaply and easily, then they will. If it's something more expensive or harder to source then they'll put out an appeal on Facebook and email. There's also an amazon wishlist of things that Carriers need at any one time.