To think holiday homes could be used to house lots of refugees

[Letshaveablackcelebration]

Uk has a LOT of holiday homes and empty second homes. Surely they could be used to take a lot of Refugees aswell as spare rooms? It could support local economies all year round too rather than just in peak tourism seasons? The crisis is going to escalate rapidly in Ukraine- there are 44 million people in the country and so far it’s about 2 million who have fled and now countries like Moldova and the Poland are starting to struggle so we need to step up.

Aibu? It seems like an obvious solution. Obviously using the empty homes of oligarchs too is a preference.

I read an article about a woman who gave her French holiday home to a refugee family.

All the static caravans that are standing empty at the moment could be used to house refugees. After the floods in 2007 a whole village of static caravans was made to house flood victims until their homes were fit to live in, caravan manufacturers donated most of the caravans & councils purchased some as well. Why can't the government either pay rent to owners or make a deal with manufacturers to produce suitable vans? They could even involve the refugees in the manufacture & management of the sites for them, the £350 per month refugees payment could go towards payment for rent.

My MIL lives in a 3bed. She's supposed to have downsized 3years ago soon after my FIL died, she hasn't. My DH just told her the govt will soon be looking at council tax accounts, registered voters etc at addresses with minimum two beds and if any are empty will require it to house refugees

Wow so basically she hasn’t downsized when he wanted her to so he decided to try and manipulate/scare her into it instead?

How lovely and not even a little bit fucked up

@Nat6999

All the static caravans that are standing empty at the moment could be used to house refugees. After the floods in 2007 a whole village of static caravans was made to house flood victims until their homes were fit to live in, caravan manufacturers donated most of the caravans & councils purchased some as well. Why can't the government either pay rent to owners or make a deal with manufacturers to produce suitable vans? They could even involve the refugees in the manufacture & management of the sites for them, the £350 per month refugees payment could go towards payment for rent.

That’s the same as using second homes, though. So all the arguments that people have used about why they can’t house refugees in their second / holiday homes apply in much the same way.

@ValkyrieVik

But what about the war in Yemen?

Why is everyone so keen to insist others (not they themselves of course, they haven't the room) open their houses to Ukrainian refugees?

What about all the darker skinned refugees fleeing from wars that've been going on for years? Who's been starting umpteen threads this week about that?

Honestly? It’s not about ‘helping refugees’. It’s about ‘that could be us’.

And refugees should really be in countries closest to them. Why should they all crowd onto a single continent?

Ukrainians are European and therefore should be housed in Europe. People fleeing ME countries should be sorted by their neighbours.

The French holiday home lady lives locally to us (in the U.K.) and the fundraising for it was all over the local sites.

This area is very, very wealthy and there are a LOT of people in huge properties with self contained annexes, stable conversions, basement flats etc that are empty. I wonder if the publicity of the case above will encourage others offer up these homes to refugees?

It does seem a huge waste otherwise. A close family member has a whole empty cottage on his land, but has never let ut out because he doesn’t want ‘strangers near the house’. I think, sadly, that money isn’t the issue here for many and so incentives will make little difference unless they feel compelled to help anyway.

@Kanaloa

Because it’s stupid to say ‘I would help of course, but…’

I mean I could say that easily. I would help but I have four kids and a small home and - but it’s irrelevant. My ‘could have’ is no good to anybody and I don’t even know if it’s true. It’s easy to say what you would do when you don’t have to, and it doesn’t give you the right to tell others what they should do.

Yebs has now added rising cost of living as a further reason why she simply cannot help. Presumably the mother she is trying to bully into housing multiple complete strangers lives in a separate universe where the cost of living isn't an issue. Lucky her. She should take 25 tomorrow morning.

What's wrong with not wanting strangers in your home?

I suppose if you can't see the need to think beyond your comfort and preferences when there is a war in Europe, a humanitarian crisis with several million refugees then there is really nothing to talk about.

I think that locationscould be a problem. Many holiday homes are rural or cut off. It would be hard for Ukrainians to find work and they would be unable to support the local economy in the same way as tourists. It could also be a very isolating experience. Let's hope that Ukraine and Russia resolve things with their next round of talks. One can but hope.

Thank you for this perspective.

@anotherday85

What's wrong with not wanting strangers in your home?

I suppose if you can't see the need to think beyond your comfort and preferences when there is a war in Europe, a humanitarian crisis with several million refugees then there is really nothing to talk about.

And how many have you signed up for ?

I was listening to the radio show LBC Friday evening and one caller phoned in and came up with the suggestion of utilising cruise ships. I think this is a fantastic idea.

And how many have you signed up for ?

Read the thread. I have hosted a refugee before and am signing up to host again tomorrow.

@Tiddlesthecat

I think that locationscould be a problem. Many holiday homes are rural or cut off. It would be hard for Ukrainians to find work and they would be unable to support the local economy in the same way as tourists. It could also be a very isolating experience. Let's hope that Ukraine and Russia resolve things with their next round of talks. One can but hope.

Not only that, isn't there a maximum amount of consecutive days that someone can occupy a holiday home? So any refugees staying in one could find themselves having to find different accommodation every so often anyway.

£350 will barely pay my gas bill. I’m a single parent with two male late teen sons. We don’t have a spare room. There will be safeguarding issues in the future. £350 won’t go far to feed two or three extra mouths a month. Or will they get benefits. What happens in 6 months time? Not enough info to really discuss it. I certainly don’t think there should be any pressure on people to do the governments job for them. There were a lot of expensive lodge holiday complexes that housed essential nhs staff during Covid. How was out them cancelling their holiday bookings and providing accommodation? Or using Pontins or Centre parcs?

These aren't normal refugees looking for a better life, these are literally women and children with nowhere to go. this isn’t correct. A “normal refugee” is fleeing for their life and cannot return home without significant chance that they will be hurt and killed. That’s what a refugee is. An asylum seeker is someone asking to be a refugee in the country and may be here for economic reasons but their case has not been fully assessed. The people from Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq that have been fleeing here are no different than Ukrainians they had lives and loved ones and futures ripped away from them.

Ukraine is very close to us, I think you could drive there in a couple of days. I think it will take all of us to help but I’m not convinced it will help to just pop people in spare rooms around the country.

they get jobs and sort out their own accomodation (after 6 months)

Come off it, alltheapples; maybe a minority would, but it's not always easy for our own population to sort these things, so what chance will traumatised people with potential MH issues and little English have?

A pal just messaged me a possible solution though - they could ban evictions of refugees, just as they banned them during Covid
What price "Just 6 months" then?

If the shoe was on the other foot one day and the choice would be between a hotel/converted office accommodation or someone's spare bedroom, I think I would strongly prefer the former. Being squeezed in someone else's home sounds stressful and I'd be constantly worrying if we're too loud/messy/different to them.

Are the children going to squeeze into our already crowded schools? GPs NHS. These need sorting too. It’s too simplistic to say rent your spare room out.

@ValkyrieVik

we aren't in a position to help but we had the conversation

Ah well, as long as you had the conversation...
😂

I expect there are a lot of 'conversations ' going on over a delicious kitchen supper in many very comfortable homes this evening. And during those conversations the phrase "oh we would love to but we simply can't because......" will be heard

@UglyModernWindows

If the shoe was on the other foot one day and the choice would be between a hotel/converted office accommodation or someone's spare bedroom, I think I would strongly prefer the former. Being squeezed in someone else's home sounds stressful and I'd be constantly worrying if we're too loud/messy/different to them.

Yes me too

I too would prefer my own front door.

@UglyModernWindows

OP and some others are banging on how rest of the Europe is willing to house all the refugees. I'm from an European country and as far as I know, there is no inclination whatsoever to house refugees in people's home.

Some vegetable/berry farmers are offering accommodation for some families but these people are known to them as they have been employed as a seasonal staff over the years. But that's it, individual families would not be up for it.

This is very interesting.

@Yebs

I'm pointing out racism because it's going to be a huge factor in why lots of people won't help.

And I think it's ironic to quote Churchill to me in a conversation about how I was disappointed by my mum being racist.

You are disappointed in your mum. She may feel the same about you.

@Yebs I have thought about it but my conclusions might sound quite harsh.
In an emergency I’d step up… however…

I grew up in a developing country, 10 people in a 2 bed house with one bathroom. Frequent power, water cuts. 40 kids to a class, teachers not turning up. You get the picture.

Consequently a roof over my head, basic food, safety and utilities is the lap of luxury. Even now I live quite frugally, shall we say cheaply.

It’s not the same principle I suppose but I’d let a friend stay in my flat, share food etc. I’d do the same if was allowed for a refugee. But I wouldn’t deal with trauma, MH or anything like that. I’d help practically of course but not a one stop shop.

The standards for ‘helping’ are very high.

I don’t think the people just opening up their homes are held to this. It’s just a question of basic needs being met and dealing with everything else later.