£600 per month for Homes for Ukraine hosts approved for next year
All hosts in Gloucestershire offering accommodation for Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members through the Homes for Ukraine scheme will continue to get £600 a month to thank them for their support.
Funding from central government provides a payment of £350 or £500 per month for hosts depending on whether their Ukrainian guests are in their first or second year in the UK.
In March 2023, the county council approved an increase to the ‘thank you’ payment to £600 per month for all hosts. This offered more support and stability to hosts and their guests, particularly while the cost of living was rising.
The £600 monthly payment has been extended to continue for at least the next financial year to 31 March 2025.
Cllr Stephan Fifield, cabinet member for adult social care delivery, said: “We have been amazed by the response of Gloucestershire people who were willing to open their homes to those in desperate need. More than 800 hosts have welcomed over 1,670 Ukrainian guests into their homes, and we are always looking for more people who can offer a safe place to stay. I’m really pleased we have been able to extend the ‘thank you’ payment to show hosts how much we value their support.”
Watch our video showing the impact of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Homes for Refugees
With the success of this national scheme, the county council has recently launched Homes for Refugees: a local scheme to help refugees from other countries rebuild their lives.
Gloucestershire residents with a spare room, annexe, or even another property, can host a refugee for short-term placements of up to three months and receive £600 per month. Both hosts and guests receive wrap-around support to help their guests to move towards independence.
The scheme is for refugees who have been granted asylum, meaning they have the legal right to live and work in the UK, having fled conflict or persecution in their own country.
Once an asylum claim is approved, refugees must move out of Home Office accommodation. The Homes for Refugees scheme is designed to give those who have had a successful asylum application a safe and supportive home where they can make longer term plans, such as securing employment and more permanent accommodation.
Could you become a host?
If you would be interested in supporting a refugee, from Ukraine or elsewhere, please get in touch by emailing HFR@gloucestershire.gov.uk.
For more information, or to request an informal call with a member of the team visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/homes-for-refugees.