The Welsh Government has moved to increase payments to people sponsoring Ukrainians in a bid to get as many refugees rehomed as quickly as possible. Of the 6,500 refugees from Ukraine now in Wales, more than 3,000 arrived through the Welsh Government’s super sponsor scheme and more than half of them remain housed in welcome centres.
One thousand refugees have been moved into longer term accommodation while 500 have left Wales. The welcome centres - usually hotels - are all planned for closure in the near future meaning the government and local authorities need to act quickly to house Ukrainians.
Refugees have told WalesOnline that this is happening against a backdrop of homeowners being reluctant to come forward to take them in due to costs. At a welcome centre in Monmouthshire which will close by April 1, last month many said they found trying to rent a property themselves almost impossible due to landlords’ concerns over their finances.
Read more: Ukrainian refugees to be rushed into 'modular homes' and above shops as welcome centre closures loom
Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt said with the help of £40m investment outlined within the Welsh Government budget last week, the government will be able to pay all sponsors £500 each month from April to take in refugees from Ukraine.
Currently, people in Wales receive support through the UK Government's Homes for Ukraine scheme which pays £350 a month and £500 to sponsors who host a refugee once they have been in the UK for more than 12 months. The Welsh Government will now top up the £350 to £500 for all sponsors no matter how long their guests have been in the UK.
From April 1 sponsors in Wales will begin receiving the improved monthly payments which ministers hope will persuade many more to come forward. “Now, as Putin’s war regrettably continues, we must ensure our guests are able to settle in longer term accommodation,” Ms Hutt said.
Ms Hutt was again critical of the UK Government for cutting the tariff in January provided to local authorities to support refugees with resettlement programmes. “We will progress with a phased move on of guests from our initial accommodation,” she continued. “While the UK Government has chosen to make a cut in vital funding needed by local authorities to levels far below what can be managed, we’re determined to support councils to help everyone who needs a home in Wales.”
With the help of an £89m Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme, announced last year, Ms Hutt has also pledged that the government will build new modular homes and will find other accommodation settings to house Ukrainians quickly. The Welsh Government has now said that this will take up to 18 months with a target of 1,300 new “additional homes”. Some of these homes are already being built, such as in Llantwit Major where a modular estate of 90 houses is going up to house refugees soon.
Councils are to receive £2m in extra funding to “provide targeted support for more complex cases”. The government says this is in addition to just under £2m funding in the form of a discretionary fund for councils to support local services to help refugees such as education and employability schemes.
Ms Hutt has already spoken about government efforts to find accommodation in empty properties for refugees, such as above shops. She added: “We are working with local authorities, social landlords and partners to increase capacity of high-quality accommodation options, including providing more host accommodation. Those seeking safety will continue to find an inclusive welcome here.”
Read next:
- Welsh Government reveals how much it has spent on hotels to house refugees from Ukraine
- Mum and daughter fled fighting in Ukraine but now face homelessness as Welsh sponsor pulls out
- 'We're so thankful.....to not feel like a refugee' - smiles and joy as Ukrainian mums and their children enjoy special party in Cardiff
- Refugees from Ukraine in Wales asked to start paying for meals and laundry
- Ukrainian families were given safety and a warm welcome in an Urdd centre in Wales
