Ukrainian house guest doesn't want to leave!

[reallyneedmoresleep]

We've had a Ukrainian house guest for the last six months via the Homes for Ukraine scheme. When she came to live with us, we said it would be for a six month period and at the last welfare check we confirmed that she would need to move out by mid-May.
She doesn't want to leave. She has asked several times if she can stay, we have said no. She says our house is much nicer than where she can afford to move to.

I have visited estate agents with her who advise that to rent privately, she either needs a guarantor (we are not prepared to do this) or to pay six month's rent plus the deposit up front. She cannot afford this.

What do we do?

I know the situation in Ukraine is appallling and I am writing from a position of immense priveledge but we have found it really difficult having someone else in our home. She is not an easy person to be around, does not work, has refused all offers to be taken to support groups and frequently just hangs around us when we are in the house when we are trying to work or just to chill. Our son is home from uni in a couple of weeks and we need the room back.

There has been radio silence from the council Homes for Ukraine scheme.
How can I help her to move on?

No real ideas but I'm sorry for your situation, you've done a wonderful thing and the government has sold you down the river.

Cant help but you are not alone.
My friends parents allowed a Ukranian family to move into a 2nd home they own and they are still there despite not paying anything, even utility bills despite both adults having jobs. My friend is trying to remove them (parents are elderly) but has had no success so far. They keep stalling and phoning the elderly parents "in tears" and my friend is told to give them a bit more time.
Total pisstakers - only referring to this and OP's siuation here bu the way, not all Ukranians!

Oh dear. I don't think they thought this through when they set up the scheme. Does she know you need the room back? Who is it you have the welfare checks with - can you call them?

Drop her off at the council when her time is up.

How? Wrestle her into the car??

Wrestle? No, just tell the person that they must go and you’ll drop them off.

If they refuse then you phone the police.

I’ve sent you a PM :)

I can’t help either but I also wanted to say I’m really sorry you’re in this situation. The PP is right, the government sold you down the river, this was never an adequate refugee response programme, and it’s appalling that your selflessness and generosity is being abused (and not by your guest- by the authorities that put you in this position and have now washed their hands of you).

Write to your HfU coordinator and state your intention to end your hosting on <date>. Tell them your concerns, and ask them to contact you immediately.

They are obliged to provide another host, or if none are available then put her in temporary accommodation. They will push back but dig your heels in. You have done your bit, and the council will try and persuade you to continue. Is she on the housing list already? If not, help her to sign up.

There have been so many hosts in this position, and unfortunately making guests homeless is the only way to move them on if they refuse to help themselves. We were very lucky that our guest worked and saved 6 months rent herself while she was with us for a year.

You have to be adamant you agreed to six months and there is no longer a room for her, she's not staying. Point out she hasn't taken up support offered, so you're not willing to commit to an indefinite period until she sorts herself out. Also, your son wants his room for visits and when he eventually returns.

Thank you so much for messages of support. It feels so heartless to throw her out but I just need her to go

Put a date in writing . If she’s not gone by that date as soon as she leaves for any reason get the locks changed

Working and saving the rent for the future is what these Ukrainians were supposed to do.

It's kind to have boundaries. She's can't be a leech forever. Sadly she didn't take up support - that's on her - she's an adult,

Protect yourself and your family.

Tell her she's leaving on XYZ date and thereafter police will be contacted for trespassing.

Your guest should surely be able to afford a room in a house share, or to be a paying lodger somewhere? There would be no need to rent an entire property as a single person. Has she looked on Spare Room etc?

It was very kind of your family to give her this 6 month break. I hope she manages to move on soon so you can have a break yourselves.

Oh I read a thread on this happening to someone else last year
What was the plan supposed to be after 6 months?

This scheme wasn't very well thought out was it? It was all flags and sunflowers.

What a mess. I think you will have to be very very firm OP.

I agree with writing to the local council stating that your guest will be homeless from x date. Then, phone the council every single day to make sure that they are taking action.

It then becomes the responsibility of the council to provide her with accommodation. It's likely to be emergency B&B to start with.

Your guest's only other option is to get a room in a shared house.

There is zero chance she will be able to rent a house or flat without a credit reference.

(I'm a previous host).

Contact the council again. They have specific teams dealing with this. They may be able to place her with a new sponsor family even. Tell them you have given her notice and it expires on (date) May and that at that point she will be homeless and their responsibility.

Also tell the guest this is what you are doing and she may end up in b and b accommodation if she doesn't sort herself out but that it is no longer your responsibility and you cannot house her outside the agreed sponsorship period.

She should speak to the job centre at her next appointment and they will be able to help her find out what housing allowance she would get.

It is being abused by the guest as well! She is choosing to behave like this, being Ukrainian doesn’t render her completely helpless.

Has she explained why she won’t get a job? What her actual plan is? I’ve no sympathy for people who won’t help themselves when they’ve been handed the time they needed to get themselves into a good position.

My understanding was that the HfU people would help her to apply for somewhere else.
She doesn’t want a room in a shared house because she says she snores loudly. She does. She is very angry that doctors in this country are not helpful with fixing her snoring.
She says housing benefit will cover a studio or one bed apartment. The trouble is getting a guarantor.

Why isn’t she working? It’s ridiculous to sit on her arse for 6 months with no bills and her benefits as pocket money and then complain because it can’t go on forever. You will have to officially end the arrangement with H4U at the council and tell her to go to them when she is homeless. If it sounds heartless, it isn’t. You’ve given her 6 months of your home and covered her expenses. If you don’t want to be made a mug of forever then stop as planned at 6 months. She is a house guest not a tenant. It’s time for her to be independent, she should have got a job by now like many of them have. The scheme was to support them in transition to independent living.

The hope was that they would seek employment and be able to afford to live out. In any event the sponsor agreed to 6 months. Sponsor thank you payments have been extended to encourage hosts to continue hosting as this is cheaper for many councils than having to house them which is what councils are obliged to do after the 6 months

She's been living rent-free and council tax and energy bill free. She could have got a job and saved six months' rent in six months and been ready to move on. I've heard of lots of accounts of work refusal, is it cultural?