Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Accepted
Increase local authority homelessness data returns and secure adequate sponsors for Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Conclusion
We are concerned that the risk of homelessness among Ukrainians in the UK is likely to increase as more sponsorships end or break down. There is no obligation for UK sponsors to host Ukrainian guests for the whole time they are in the UK, with the UK government only asking them to commit to hosting for a minimum of six months. The government has extended thank you payments into a third year to encourage them to continue their sponsorship. However, there is a risk that a Ukrainian’s relationship with their sponsor can break down. DLUHC’s initial planning assumption was that 50% of sponsorships could break down, but it does not have complete data on how many relationships have done so. By the end of August 2023, local authorities had reported that 4,890 Ukrainian households in England who were in the UK on Homes for Ukraine visas had been homeless or come within 56 days of being homeless. Since the start of 2023, at any one time, between 600 and 800 Ukrainian households have been living in temporary accommodation in England, although DLUHC does not know how many of these households are part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Around 30% of English local authorities do not regularly provide homelessness data to DLUHC on those Ukrainians who are in the UK under the scheme. DLUHC has announced a total of £270 million of funding to support local authorities to invest in homelessness prevention, including to support Ukrainian households that no longer have a scheme sponsor. Recommendation 2: DLUHC should, as part of its Treasury Minute response, set out what action it will take to: • increase the number of local authorities that regularly provide homelessness data returns; and 6 Homes for Ukraine • secure an adequate supply of sponsors for the scheme in the future in a cost-effective way.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees, stating it already undertakes a variety of actions to encourage new sponsors, including using an Expression of Interest portal, leveraging communication moments, and collaborating with partners. Councils also receive flexible tariff funding for support interventions.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented DLUHC undertake a variety of actions to encourage new sponsors. This includes actions to encourage new hosts for rematching with guests who need to move out of their current sponsorship arrangement but are not ready to move into their own accommodation. The Expression of Interest (EOI) portal which local authorities can access directly to identify potential sponsors in their area for a rematch has been designed to improve the sponsor pool and highlights to anyone interested in sponsoring that they can also match with a guest already in the UK. Key communications moments, such as the Homes for Ukraine two-year anniversary are used to promote the scheme through social, media and stakeholder channels. Relevant policy announcements are also used as opportunities to garner support for the scheme and encourage more sponsors to come forward. For example, at the two-year anniversary of the launch of the scheme, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up thanked sponsors and encouraged more to sign up via a video on departmental social media channels. Ongoing collaboration with Recognised Providers who match sponsors and guests, other voluntary community sector partners, and local authorities, allows effective targeting of communications through stakeholder channels, to aid the recruitment of sponsors and facilitate new and existing sponsors to host Ukrainians already in the UK through rematching. Those accessing the EOI portal are also signposted to the recognised provider page for support in becoming a sponsor or a rematch host. Councils receive flexible tariff funding for a range of interventions to support Ukrainian guests into long-term sustainable housing including through Private Rented Sector access schemes and rematching.