The number of Ukrainian families who are presenting as homeless to English councils has increased by 22 per cent in a single month, leading local authorities to demand “urgent solutions” from government.
Some 1,915 Ukrainian households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness have turned to local authorities for help since 24 February, with 350 families seeking help in the past month alone.
Charities have warned that the problem “will escalate in the coming months” as Homes for Ukraine sponsor arrangements come to an end.
The Local Goverment Association, the national representative body for councils, said that they were “deeply concerned” about the growing number of Ukrainians presenting as homeless.
“In particular, the significant rise in the number of those who arrived through the Homes for Ukraine scheme,” Cllr James Jamieson, chairman of the association, said.
Are you in a similar position? Contact holly.bancroft@independent.co.uk
The Homes for Ukraine scheme was launched on 14 March, meaning that the first refugees to arrive in the UK reached the initial six month mark last month.
Twenty-five per cent of sponsors said they only wanted to provide accommodation for six months or less, according to an ONS survey of 17,702 hosts.
More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of the Ukrainian households who have presented as homeless have dependent children, according to data from the Department of Levelling Up.
And 585 families on the Homes for Ukraine scheme have sought help after their accommodation arrangements broke down, the statistics showed. Some 415 households, who had arrived in the UK because they had family members already here, were in the same situation.
Others could not find anywhere to live when they arrived in the UK or their accommodation wasn’t suitable.
The data showed that 1,915 households presented as homeless from 24 February to 23 September this year; a 22 per cent increase on the 1,565 families recorded the month before.
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran condemned the “shocking figures” and said the government must act immediately “or risk breaking a promise to the Ukrainian people”.
“Those Ukrainians who fled to escape Putin’s war machines should be supported in the UK,” she said.
“It is absolutely crucial that support to sponsors is enhanced as inflation and energy costs increase,” Cllr Jamieson added.
A number of Ukrainian families stand on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street after they met with Prime Minister Boris Johnson after arriving to the UK through the UK visa scheme
Opora, a charity which supports Ukrainians in the UK, said they thought the numbers were “significantly underreported”.
“It is our understanding that the numbers are self-reported with inconsistent data capture methods, and almost 30 per cent of the local authorities have not provided any data,” trustee Stan Benes said.
“As is clear from the data, this is a problem that will escalate in the coming months. Whilst it has been more than six months since the launch of the Homes for Ukraine scheme in March, people didn’t start arriving in the UK in larger numbers until late April and May.”
Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said the charity was “extremely concerned” about the “growing number of Ukrainians falling into homelessness under both the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme”.
Hosting is never meant to be a permanent solution – we can’t rely on people’s goodwill forever
Lord Harrington called for the Treasury to increase thank you payments to sponsors during his time as refugees minister
