thread for those interested in refugee hosting/sponsorship

[EezyOozy]

I thought I would start a new thread about this as I have just heard on BBC news that they are opening up a web form tomorrow to express interest. Apparently families/households can claim £350 a month (I assume for increased expenses) and refugees will be eligible to claim or benefits and work. We have large a spare room but live rurally so whilst I will express interest I'm not sure we will be taken up on it.

I thought I would start a new thread for those who are interested and to follow the progress of the registration procedure/how this pans out in practice.

Posted here because it's the only place I know gets plenty traffic, I will probably be asking for this to be moved but don't know where to.

It would be very hard to move to a new country and be isolated in a village you can't get out of. Stuck in a spare room in an unfamiliar house

It might be even harder to be with young kids in a makeshift reception centre, noisy, with nowhere decent to sleep or shower, too many people sharing toilets,nowhere to wash or dry clothes.

We can offer someone a large ensuite room. A spare laptop computer and a fast internet connection. A train station with a 30 minute train into london, 15 mins walk from the house. Facilities to wash and dry clothes, a garden. I would hope it could give someone just a little security/respite.

There's been a few posts about people unsure because they wouldn't always be able to cook for people. Obviously can't say for this scheme until there's more detail, but it isn't usually a requirement to host/care in that way. Usually it's more about someone living with you like a housemate would, so someone who can live independently but who would likely appreciate a bit of support with food and the chance to sit down for a meal together because it's a nice thing to do, especially when they're new. Of course it does mean someone sharing your kitchen and cupboard space with other people.

Going back to some of the comments about the craziness of meeting someone on the internet and inviting them into your home - I houseshared with strangers for over a decade, lived in 15+ homes, almost all of them by responding to an ad in a newspaper or online and agreeing to move in after visiting once. I never raped or murdered anyone! It's a really normal part of life for a lot of people. I know it's not the same as sharing with a refugee but some of the comments on this thread make me wonder how people function day to day if you're that scared of strangers.

@highlandcoo I've been googling and can't find anything! It would surely make sense as there are so many people who would like to offer help and support but for very understandable reasons can't accommodate within their own homes.

Does anyone else know whether any charities will be sponsoring refugees and undertaking to pay their rent? Or is there a way of renting a flat/house/room for a family/group? If you've heard of anything please post on this thread, thank you :)

Not heard anything about this apart from the air B and B stuff but that was temporary. I can’t imagine many people will have the space for a small famil Let alone a larger one

I'd like to do it and have been discussing with my children today. They are 9 and 7.

I looked into it for Afghan refugees too but wasn't suitable as we don't live in a city. I don't know if we'll be suitable this time but we have a large spare room with en-suite. We are lucky enough to have a big house so there's plenty of space. The village is. 10 min walk away with bus stop that goes to two or three local towns.

I imagine it would be tough. The emotional side might drive me nuts as I like my own space. But I feel strongly I want to help. I'm only living my life down to pure unadulterated luck. I want to share that luck.

We have a spare car they could use if it was possible.

We could even provide work but I don't want to be accused of doing this for the labour.

My one concern is what if it went on for years. I'd be comfortable with up to 12 months in our home but by then I'd want my space back. We'd happily continue to support someone by paying a deposit on a house or some such but what if the houses aren't available.

Interested in the poster upthread who asked their private school. Would be keen to know their response.

Ppl worried about accommodating men - I thought it was the case that men between 16-60 had to stay in Ukraine? I assume Families will in reality be mostly women & children

Could be multi generational families, grandma children etc

@Theeyeballsinthesky

Ppl worried about accommodating men - I thought it was the case that men between 16-60 had to stay in Ukraine? I assume Families will in reality be mostly women & children

Fathers can leave if they have three children. And of course all men over 60 can leave. A family could easily be 4x grandparents, both parents, three children.

I know someone who wants to do this but they live very rurally so the refugee would struggle to get a job especially if they have kids and also the home is in a state of disrepair.
But it’s a roof over someone head.

Do you think they should apply for it or not?

@daisypond

Yes, you’re not meant to be making a profit, or particularly breaking even. You’re doing it to help. Have you read or seen the Railway Children? They house a refugee -for free.

Well lots of people can't afford to not break even.

Does anyone else know whether any charities will be sponsoring refugees and undertaking to pay their rent? Or is there a way of renting a flat/house/room for a family/group? If you've heard of anything please post on this thread, thank you

I don’t know what housing is like in your area but there’s literally no spare housing where I live and local people are already having to stay in temporary accommodation so I think that’s probably why they’re paying people to give up their spare rooms/second homes rather than housing them somewhere.

I will be checking the website to see if we can host a family.
My older teenagers are happy to lose the spare room which they use for gym/ study/ hanging out with friends, etc
We could offer a decent sized bedroom with en-suite shower, but we are in a large village with few shops and an infrequent bus service. We also have a dog.
There is a school in the village and several mother and toddler clubs, and other activities and groups, and we could probably offer use of a car to get to town, but not sure this will be enough. I think it might depend upon whether there are other offers locally, as just one family will feel isolated.

anna, I host my adult children here at home for no charge but my local council takes the discount away the second they are no longer students (even if they have no job) so I don't think having another adult at home who is not charged rent gets you out of 100% full council tax (as a single person householder).

@LumpyandBumps good point.

Our village sounds similar. If there were 2 or 3 people hosting our community would really rally round I think. There's a lot of people around here with big houses. If we are all written off due to being rural it would be a real shame as with a bit of thinking I reckon it could work.

Some good news is that the government have confirmed that they can bring their pets into the country and the government are covering the vaccination and quarantine costs. That will make a huge difference to the well-being of families with pets.

@Parker231 do you know if these pets will stay with the owners or go into temporary fostering?

For those who aren’t able to help with a spare room I wonder if they’ll be opportunities to foster pets or sponsor a kennel for them.

@hassletassle

Sponsors won't be required to know them in advance - they might find them, for example, through posts on social media

I think I will have to assess how this pans out in reality

It's probably been mentioned already but www.sanctuaryfoundation.org.uk are involved and seem to know what they're doing - they also seem to offer continuing care.

We are undecided, well I am. DH has surprised me by saying he'd like to. We hosted a family member who was fleeing Zimbabwe and have hosted overseas players for DH's cricket club so we know we can live with "strangers".

@WonderfulYou - hopefully more information this week. We own a property company and allow tenants to have pets. If the tenants ask we will let them hosts refugees and their pets.

@CaMePlaitPas

Typical fucking government fobbing this off onto citizens instead of setting up centres and using empty office spaces for accommodation. I'm so fed up with the population continually being expected to pick up the pieces left behind from this shit show of a government. I'll sign up to the scheme when each and every member of the government does the same.

The fucking government are not “fobbing” them off . They going to pay for each one.

If your attitude is to be angry with the government About a situation caused by the Russians it’s probably a blessing in disguise that you won’t help.

Our Polish friends have just taken in a woman and child. They live in Warsaw and their teenagers, boy and girl, volunteered to share a bedroom to make room. Friends say that they are lovely and it feels good to be of use.

It's something we'll be looking into and considering. We've had a couple of foreign students stay with us and a friend who left he wife for a while. I totally understand whoever could be traumatised and I'd genuinely want them to feel welcome, but at the same time I know it's not easy from our experience - we had one person staying who persisted in smoking inside which we absolutely hate and that same person couldn't stand our pets.It might sound like we're being awkward but I wouldn't want someone to come and find it's really not working, as I want to feel it's the right thing to do for as long as required.

My elderly female relative wants to house a few families.
She really wants to help. I’m concerned about safeguarding all round. She is very vulnerable. She thought the Ukrainian families could cook for her. She is unable to actively look after anyone. I’m not sure she would manage with traumatised folk who she can’t communicate with. She’s very lonely and thinks it will be fun to have people in the house.

I know some people think setting up centres is a better idea but if homes are vetted carefully this would surely be much better for individual Ukrainians fleeing an uncertain situation. I can’t think of anything more grim than being housed in an ex office block with tens or hundreds of others and litttle privacy. Surely these people deserve something of a welcoming home. It sounds inhuman in some way to expect them to live in mass blocks that are converted on the quick.

This won't be for everyone, I'm unable to host refugees for several reasons. But some people will be willing and able, and I'm sure will provide a much better short term solution than repurposed office space or crappy B&Bs. I think it's good that the government are facilitating hosts, even if it isn't the perfect long term solution. And let's hope only a relatively short term solution is required.

A number on my German colleagues have taken people in over the last week - most of them are mothers with children but one guy has taken in a single woman and her elderly mother.

I think it has been relatively informal there in that there is no govt financial support or central scheme in place yet. They offered via the local town hall - they are in Berlin so thousands of refugees arriving every day. The Germans and the Poles don't have time to build an ideal system - they are just getting on with it. There will be some bad experiences I am sure - but are they going to ask hundreds of thousands of refugees to just hang on for a bit while they design and implement some. What other choice do they have? The colleague I spoke to said it was going ok so far in week one and his kids were quite excited to have similar aged children staying with them. am sure there will be awkward moments but that's not the end of the world.

Not all Ukrainians are penniless - they may well struggle to get together two months rent as a deposit and have no financial record here so private renting will be hard to arrange for a while. But it's not to say they will need every meal cooking for them or be driven about everywhere. They got themselves out of Ukraine and to the UK - they may well be pretty resilient and capable!

It's probably worth pointing out that Ukraine is a massive agricultural power house - some of them may wish to be rurally based as their professional expertise is more relevant etc. If they have the savings to get a basic cheap car for cash then there are lots of agricultural jobs that may fit in with the experience of some refugees. (I am not saying they must fruit pick, just that some of them will be highly skilled agricultural workers given Ukraine's economy.

People suggesting Nightingale hospitals could be used - you know in several cases including London and Glasgow, those were in exhibition centres? Which are now open as exhibition centres again? And which are one massive space anyway with zero bathrooms or anything other than commercial kitchens - i think you'd need more than an interior designer to make that into suitable long term accomodation for families.

And much like a previous poster, I've moved in with various strangers. How else do house shares work?

I'm about to have the only bathroom replaced but when that is done in a couple of months, I will offer my spare room.

If it is a disaster, they will have no legal rights to remain in your house. They are akin to lodgers not tenants.