Councils are already reporting families presenting as homeless via the family visa route, with numbers expected to increase. The LGA recently published a survey of Homelessness Presentations by Ukrainian Arrivals which showed that since 24 February, 144 Ukrainian households have presented as homelessness at 57 councils who responded. Almost a third (44) of these households came through the Ukraine Family Scheme; 36 through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and 64 unknown.
Those arriving under the family scheme do not have to arrive to the country with somewhere to stay. Councils are already providing accommodation for homeless families via the visa route, with numbers expected to increase. Councils should receive information, data and funding for both schemes.
Councils will have a crucial role in providing accommodation for homeless families, ensuring integration and access to local services. There is also no funding available for people arriving under the Family scheme.
Confirmation from the Government is needed on whether visa route families can move across to the sponsor route to avoid becoming homeless. Councils stand ready to help those if moving across to the sponsorship route is possible, but councils will need additional funding for this.
At the moment, the only route suggested by the Government guidance is that where the sponsor relationship breaks down and the guest is homeless or at risk of homelessness, that councils’ statutory homelessness duties will apply in this instance. The £10,500 will not be enough to cover these costs – and furthermore, the Family Scheme has no associated tariff at all. There are already more than 96,000 households already in temporary accommodation (including more than 59,000 households with children) and more than 1.1 million households on local authority housing waiting lists.
Councils want to ensure that temporary accommodation through homelessness services for new arrivals is only used as a very short-term solution when and if absolutely necessary. Temporary accommodation capacity will vary across the country, but we know in many places it is incredibly stretched – in some cases requiring councils to place out of area. Anecdotally we are hearing of pressures on the supply of hotel accommodation, for example, where it is still being used to accommodate Afghan refugees.
New arrivals need to be able to be re-matched with a different sponsor if a sponsorship breaks down to ensure families can swiftly move to other accommodation so they can rebuild their lives in their new communities. We are also discussing with government whether it would be possible to match new arrivals through the Family Visa Scheme if they cannot stay with their family with sponsors registered under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. We would welcome urgent work on how councils can work with the Government and the community, faith and voluntary sector so those offering their homes can be quickly matched with a family in need.