It’s been two years since war broke out in Ukraine, during which almost 200,000 people have been welcomed to the UK.
As the war continues, some new issues regarding the Ukrainian immigrants’ community are arising. One of the most serious ones is the rising housing and homelessness crisis facing some refugees.‘
We are concerned that the risk of homelessness among Ukrainians in the UK is likely to increase as more sponsorships end or break down,’ the Public Accounts Committee states in its latest report.
The Government announced on 18 February that UK visas issued for Ukrainian citizens can be extended by 18 months – after being due to expire in March 2025, to September 2026.
As Tom Pursglove, minister for legal migration, said: ‘This new visa extension scheme provides certainty and reassurance for Ukrainians in the UK on their future as this war continues’.
However, despite the new stability, there is a growing housing crisis, prompted by several causes.
Firstly, after 20 months of temporary accommodation, there is a growing desire from refugees to get their own home, coupled by the inability of hosts to continue to provide space.
The Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities, in line with the PAC report, estimates that up to half of all sponsorships could break down.
Then there is increased cost of living. According to the Index of Private Housing Rental Prices from October 2023rental price rose in the UK by 6.1%. Not only is getting more and more expensive, deposits and guarantees are often out of reach for refugees.
‘This has resulted in a high number of Ukrainians and refugees... having to present as homeless,’ Cllr Roger Gough, asylum, refugee and migration spokesperson for the Local Government Association states. According to the Guardian, 9,000 refugees have already reported as homeless.
That in turn is a challenge for councils. Although initially very successful, the Houses4Ukraine scheme, which established the UK's hosting system, has become obsolete.
It provided help with children's education, improving language skills and finding jobs, but now local government needs something new, but some districts are coping well.
‘There are zero homeless guests from Ukraine in our two districts’, Trevor Holden, managing director of Broadland and South Norfolk DC tells The MJ. ‘Our no homeless policy together with the community’s overwhelming level of kindness makes such a result.’
He says that both districts have received 757 Ukrainians. As for the future, Holden emphasizes that the key is to support getting guests into the economy as a large majority of them are very keen to work.
It is a different situation in areas that already had a major housing crisis, including London.
Cllr Grace Williams, London Councils’ lead for asylum and refugees says: ‘The capital’s shortage of affordable housing makes it extremely hard to find suitable accommodation for everyone who needs it.
‘Homelessness is the worst possible outcome for Ukrainian guests and is a serious concern for boroughs. London is already grappling with the most extreme homelessness crisis in the country.’
It is even more shattering when you realize that one in 50 London residents – 170,000 people – are homeless. The capital can’t afford for this number to go up.
‘The government must ensure councils have the resources required to deliver this support, alongside all the other pressures currently facing local services,’ the London Councils state.
South Cambridgeshire DC has taken more Ukrainian guests than any other district in the UK. Leader Cllr Bridget Smith says the homelessness has risen by about a third. ‘What before was just about a manageable problem now becomes a tricky one. Rental prices in South Cambs are comparable to London’s.
‘The local housing allowance is grossly inadequate to meet the cost of most private rents,’ Cllr Smith tells The MJ.
Following the successful trail of Bristol City Council, South Cambridgeshire introduced the Landlord Incentive Scheme. It is a programme providing sustainable and affordable housing options by financially supporting landlords. The scheme proved to be a success and hopefully will prevent homelessness and relive pressures in the district.
Rehousing is also an important part of the process. As Cormac Smith, former special adviser to Foreign Ministry of Ukraine, tells The MJ: ‘Ukraine is fighting but we are all at war with Russia. If Putin is allowed to win in Ukraine it’s going to end very badly for all of us in the West. We need to acknowledge that.’
Even though signs of fatigue are starting to show, they cannot be allowed to override the need for help for Ukraine.
Smith adds: ‘Putin wants us to get tired but we in the West have no right to do that.’ The stakes in this fight are much higher than just Ukraine.
