The added cost of housing a refugee family

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-households-ukraine-refugees-350-b987750.html

I won't be doing it. Happy to make donations, provide spare bedding and so on but in my home, sorry no.

Esspee

Apparently squatters have taken over an oligarch’s home in London according to the BBC.
It would be apt if such properties were used to house Ukrainian refugees.

I feel the same way and why not if they are empty

I don't think anyone would host expecting it not to cost them financially. I think as long as you go into it knowing it is unlikely to be plain sailing and will take patience , love and hard work to make it work there will be a greater degree of success. I am sure there will be rewards of all kinds including new friendships forged and the chance to learn a lot of things.

Apparently squatters have taken over an oligarch’s home in London according to the BBC.
It would be apt if such properties were used to house Ukrainian refugees.

I agree with you Charleygirl5 It's certainly not a case of "bed and board" and continuing with your life. It's best not to be naive and to realise that, so no one takes on something they later can't cope with.

As I said in my original message on the other, being a Sponsor is a legal thing and it's best for anyone considering it to get legal advice and check out their own rights in the situation.

Like you, we will not be hosting or sponsoring but we have given generously to the appeal. I am currently selling items to raise more money, but having had foreign students in the past we would not be prepared to share our private and personal space again.

£350 a month is not much when one considers the cost of food, gas and electricity. Travel costs as we are aware are outrageous.

Most will arrive with the clothes on their back so clothes would have to be bought. They would need some "spending" money and mentally I doubt if many would be in a fit state to job hunt.

It certainly is not the case of "bed and board" and continuing with your life.

I live on my own in a 3 bedroom house and I am afraid I will not be wanting any refugees staying here- I do not think I could afford it. I have contributed to DEC and will do so again when I see the lay of the land.

I think I read in the paper on the weekend it would be £350 a month financial help and a commitment for a minimum of 6 months probably longer

Not sure if this has already been mentioned, but if you live alone and take in a refugee, you would lose your single person discount on your Council Tax. Worth taking into account when you are budgeting.

There was something on the news this morning that there would be a certain amount of money available for homeowners each month and the refugees may be able to claim benefits and even work .
If you are worried at all about taking anyone in, maybe it wouldn't be right for you, but there will be other ways that you can support them, I'm sure.
It's all very new and everything is just being worked out so perhaps wait and see how it goes.

As an aside, with my tin hat on, many of us are still being very careful around people we don’t know.
Inviting possible unvaccinated people into our houses seems contrary to ‘being careful’.

That’s what we are going to do, if somebody local has a refugee family we will contribute to their bills.

We can’t house anyone but we can help towards the costs and care of refugees in our community. I have informed our local vicar to count us in.
We couldn't either for various reasons, but that's a good idea, offering help locally and you know the aid is going exactly where it's needed, PamelaJ1

There are kids in England who no body wants to foster, whose emotional and behavioural needs are already documented. If an unknown family is coming from abroad, goodness knows what emotional or behavioural problems the kids may have. Kids act out and we are talking about traumatised kids who are going to have seen atrocities.

The government need to be putting proper help and support in place for them. I have friends who foster- and yes the local authority receives a certain amount in their budget for each child in care, but do you think it's easy to persuade them to release any of that to pay for the kids needs to be met? I know foster parents who despair at the lack of support from the Local Authority. If you are a Sponsor I think you would really struggle in the same way, and end up paying yourself for things that should have been funded.

This isn't just financial. There are a lot of potential implications. Is there going to be free counselling for those who kindly share their abode and struggle? I still feel that £350 - little more than ten pounds a day, does not go far to meet the needs of a family.

Callistemon21

I was just horrified to see a BBC report where child traffickers are taking orphans and unaccompanied children at the border, some posing as helpers.

Where's there's a crisis there's a criminal taking advantage of the situation.

We have all been critical of our government of the time it seems to be taking to get organised but perhaps in the long run it will be better for those poor people to be linked up with ‘safe hosts’.
One could argue that fewer refugees may have been trafficked but the truth is that these despicable monsters will always find a way to get at their victims.

We can’t house anyone but we can help towards the costs and care of refugees in our community. I have informed our local vicar to count us in.

My parents are thinking of letting a family live in their annexe too. I was quite surprised tbh! but I suppose in cases where there is separate accommodation it might work well?

OH and I are discussing it, we have a separate small apartment with it's own cooking facilities and bathroom that we could offer. However, we are pretty rural without public transport and the nearest city with the sort of facilities that people would need is 10 miles away. I think it is doable if there is a small community of people offering accommodation so that refugees are not completely isolated. I am hoping that the local church might act as a hub. We don't need the £350 a month and would want it to be used to give additional help. It's early days but we are talking about the difficulties etc and it won't be an easy decision to make.

I thought someone had a plan to requisition the mansions of Russian oligarchs to house Ukrainian refugees.

So far, our town has several Afghan refugee families living in the community.

I think you can offer and wait to be inspected and matched with refugees. It sounds slow and cumbersome but it's great that so many want to help.

There must be many people in the UK who have second homes here and abroad which could be offered as accommodation for a refugee family?

There are several in my village and surrounding areas. It will be interesting to see whether any of them are used in this way.

We have offered to host. We live in a big house. We have 5 sons, all away from home now, but we are used to coping with a big group and we have frequent visitors. We will be going away a couple of times but would be happy to leave our guests to it. We are both fairly laid back.

I live on my own. I have 2 spare bedrooms and am considering offering to host a mother and child, if needed.

I was very willing to offer a temporary home to anyone coming from Ukraine - until DH pointed out how often we go away and the lengths of times we are away.

I looked at our calendar and realised that between now and the end of July we will be away nine times - anything from 4 days to 10 days. Visiting AC and family for long weekends and going to our house in France.

I will try to see if there are other now realise that offering a temporary home in our house, just is not practical.

I also would like to host a family and I really can't .
Recently, I've tried to help a Romanian girl in whatever way I could .
Disappointed with my efforts she's stopped communicating with me .

If you are finding life a financial struggle now -please don't burden yourself with more problems .

Apart from the extra expense you soon find yourself feeling uncomfortable in your own house .

In the past ,I've allowed all sorts of people ,who are down on their luck to stay with me for six month periods .

At first, I've been described as an angel and how quickly they turned on me :

One began to treat me as her secretary and receptionist -snapping at snarling at me for not receiving and relaying messages .

She lost her temper when I invited a friend for dinner .

She had a huge party without asking me .

Have written that I would still help a Ukrainian family if I were able to do so .

This is what i read.....

I have read this morning that the government will give £350 a month to anyone who opens their home to refugees..

I thought about it but know I would feel trapped after a few weeks, I’ve got used to being alone and my routine etc, it’s selfish I know, so decided for me it’s financial aid I will give.
It is heartwarming how very poor people in neighbouring countries take them under their warm embrace and welcome them like family. The cost of housing a whole family for 6 months would be high. Could op afford doing it with no reimbursement and can they cope with no private space. Above everything that family has to be made really welcomed, no doubt they are all suffering trauma.
How can anyone do that to lovely families. I hope tgey get Putin and is supporters soon.