HFU0009
Written evidence submitted by London Councils
London Councils is a politically led, cross party membership organisation representing the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London.
Funding
Tariff funding has enabled local authorities to provide a range of effective support for arrivals under Homes for Ukraine, although funding was reduced from £10,500 to £5,900 per person from the 1st January 2023. There continues to be misalignment between the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the Ukraine Family Scheme and the extension scheme, which creates challenges for local authorities. Currently the HfU LA tariff is only available for arrivals under Homes for Ukraine there is no ‘thank you’ payment for hosts under the Family scheme.
Housing and Homelessness
In London, since February 2022, 1720 Ukrainian households have been or are owed a homelessness prevention or relief duty by a local authority. Of these, according to DLUHC figures, 350 are housed in temporary accommodation by the local authority. Reasons for homelessness include sponsorship arrangements breaking down and accommodation not being available or suitable on arrival. Affordability challenges in London, with 2.3% of PRS housing being affordable under LHA rates and requirements by landlords for high levels of rent upfront, are major contributors to homelessness. Of the 1720 households owed a duty in London, 650 households are Family Scheme arrivals. There is no tariff funding for these arrivals.
Tariff funding has been essential for London boroughs to support Ukrainians into PRS accommodation. Key borough uses of funding have included: helping Ukrainians pay deposits and first month’s rent on PRS accommodation, providing furniture, household essentials or help with moving costs, making incentive payments to landlords and topping up thank you payments. The future of funding for this cohort therefore will have a major impact on homelessness outcomes.
Housing Quality and Safeguarding Checks
There are acknowledged challenges, especially early in the delivery of the scheme, in relation to housing standards, safeguarding and appropriate sponsor checks. These challenges include:
Fraudulent Visas
Local authorities continue to see fraudulent cases. A London Councils survey of boroughs in February 2023 found:
The Future of Homes for Ukraine visas and associated funding
The current lack of clarity of the future migration status of arrivals under Homes for Ukraine, the family visa scheme and the visa extension scheme is a challenge, and there is a need for clarity on whether this will be extended, and whether there will be options for permanent resettlement. There also needs to be clarity on future entitlements to support and funding available.
Many HFU arrivals now have less than two years remaining on their visas. This impacts Ukrainians in a range of ways, including:
Boroughs report that some Ukrainians are considering applying for different visa types or asylum, in order to achieve certainty on the future of their migration status. They have also noted the serious negative mental health impact that the uncertainty is causing.
November 2023