Will Ukrainians in the UK become homeless? Aid program to end

Thousands of Ukrainians, who sought refuge in the United Kingdom (UK) following the Russian invasion, face the risk of homelessness. The "Homes for Ukraine" government program, which has offered more than 130,000 Ukrainians a safe haven in the UK, is slated for termination in March of the coming year.

As confirmed by the spending watchdog, ministers plan to proceed with the discontinuation of funding for the program designed to aid refugees from Ukraine. Approximately 74,000 households in the UK have submitted applications to host Ukrainian families. Moreover, 130,000 individuals from the conflict-ravaged nation have secured shelter.

The financing and sponsorship arrangements for those receiving aid under the "Homes for Ukraine" program are scheduled to conclude in March of the following year. Many of these individuals could potentially lose their housing once these funds run dry. This possibility is raised by an investigation of the program conducted by the National Audit Office (NAO). "As more sponsorship agreements lapse, the likelihood of an increase in homelessness becomes more palpable," the report reads.

The program, valued at £2.1 billion, was inaugurated in spring 2022, immediately following the onset of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Hosts who opted to accommodate refugees received £350 monthly payments in the first year and £500 each month in the second year. These payments will cease a year prior to the termination of the three-year visas awarded to Ukrainians under the scheme. As the first batch of these visas is set to expire in March 2025, sponsorship will gradually be phased out from March of the upcoming year.

"If the sponsors choose not to host Ukrainians without these subsidies, Ukrainians benefiting from the program will require alternative housing solutions," the NAO report indicates. A sum of £650 million was allocated to local governments last December to tackle homelessness among Ukrainians, with the stipulation that this amount is expended by councils before the end of March 2024.

The Office acknowledges that thus far the program's objectives of averting homelessness among Ukrainians have been successfully fulfilled. However, it urges ministers to provide additional certainty about future funding, to prevent the potential scenario where thousands of Ukrainians are compelled to live on the streets of Britain.