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.

There have been urgent refugee crises for many years, yet I haven't heard anybody seem ready to requisition people's private property until now. Very curious.

Every second person I know locally, has a second property, if they get £350 per person per month, they’ll be queuing up, and posting on social media to say how saintly they are

@AllOfUsAreDead

I can just imagine the threads on here already..

'we've had our holiday booked for YEARS, scraping every penny together, and now it's been given to refugees so we can't stay there. Aibu?'

Not saying you're wrong, but I can imagine the outrage from the average British person. Its all well and good helping them until it interrupts their life.

Agreed.

If there were some financial incentives then perhaps. But most people talk the talk and love to act all dignified and then… oh wait but I can’t do that.

Maybe mortgage breaks for those years?

I worry people aren’t really thinking this through. There will be lots of people offering a spare room, then a few weeks in realise it’s awkward living with strangers. The language barrier is trying, even the most polite of houseguests create mess and noise. With families things will get damaged.

Will people trust strangers with keys to their homes? Will there have to be shifts to use the kitchen? Shifts to use the bathroom? Individual shelves in the fridge.

Will these poor refugees find themselves moving every few weeks?

People are being asked to commit to at least six months - that is a long time to share your home.

I truly admire those who can do it, but I had house guests for two weeks and I found it exhausting and intrusive. Maybe I am just odd

@PurpleGreenPoppy

Every second person I know locally, has a second property, if they get £350 per person per month, they’ll be queuing up, and posting on social media to say how saintly they are

I don’t think it’s £350 per person? Unless I have missed that. It’s £350 as a thank you.

The conditions would need to be very clear. For those going into peoples homes will they be expected to contribute to bills and shopping? Or is the £350 to cover all living expenses (I would hope so, these people will have very little).

People will need to be very clear what they are signing up to. Children will need school uniforms and supplies - babies will need nappies etc.

How will refugees survive in holiday homes - there will need to be charities bringing food and other supplies. Also as others have said holiday homes tend to be in expensive touristy areas. The loss of tourist income over the summer would devastate hospitality venues only getting back on their feet after Covid.

While we need a compassionate response - we also need a practical one.

Wow they are really pushing it hard on the news shows this morning. If you are a "kind hearted" person then you should be taking someone in apparently. Although of course Sajid said he wouldn't be able to commit to taking someone in himself. Almost a take in a Ukrainian family if you have a spare room else you're a scumbag mentality.

It's a no from me

@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.

If you read the rest of my post rather than picking out the part that suited you you’d have seen that I’ve had a bad experience with strangers in the home.

@anotherday85 everyone has to be free to respond how they want to a humanitarian crisis.

You can’t expect everyone to make huge personal sacrifices simply because you are willing to.

What is happening in the Ukraine is heart breaking - and people are pulling together to donate lots - money and supplies.

Some people will be financially and personally able and willing to donate accommodation - or have people in their homes. It’s a massive sacrifice and they should be applauded.

But shaming folk who can’t do this is, in itself, very uncharitable.

People who own holiday homes aren’t necessarily millionaire and expecting people to sacrifice their businesses and livelihoods does seem extreme.

Lots of people will also be uncomfortable inviting strangers into their homes for a variety of valid reasons. Who are you to judge those people?

Who are you to judge those people?

I judge them as a European immigrant with many years' experience of the insularity, hostility, reserve, unwelcome, exclusion, self-serving and myopic attitude of so many people here. Never more evident than now, with Europe opening its doors to desperate refugees, but here xenophobia and 'me first' always, always wins. I think a lot of British people lack a moral compass, frankly. Which explains their support and justifications for Brexit and Boris Johnson's Tories, regardless of the misery caused to others. Even in the face of war, people still look away, indifferent to anyone's plight but their own.

'No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.'

It will be interesting to see how many people actually do take in refugees or even sign up to do so vs those who say they will.

Talk is cheap. Even more so behind a keyboard with an anonymous username.

I love the way some posters always volunteer someone else's assets to help. Let's give away Russian oligarchs ' houses, second homes, spare bedrooms in mansions etc.. With' I personally don't have any space but if I could I would'

You just sound utterly ridiculous anotherday. I’m surprised you live in the U.K. if you hate the country and people so much.

@anotherday85 what do you say to the people who have donated £100m towards disaster relief? Do the people who have given money lock a moral compass because they should have given more?

Boris could offer chequers, I’m sure there’s plenty of spare room there.

@5zeds I think that's disingenuous. Surely it's not outside of the realm of understanding to appreciate why people who are offering spaces in their homes are more comfortable sharing their spaces for months on end with people who are from a similar culture. Inviting strangers to live with you is a big upheaval without the extra pressures of different values and outlooks. I do think it makes a difference that it is Europe. A country that's in our backyard. For the record I haven't seen many Middle Eastern countries putting their hands up to take Ukranians?

@Mellowyellow222, government have said they can work or go onto benefits so will be buying own nappies out of benefits once settled and in receipt of benefits. Will likely need host to buy them some until benefits start.

[quote Letshaveablackcelebration]@Bunty55 no but I am happy to host a family if I can in my actual home.[/quote]
Do you think you should be told you have to though?

It’s easy to be generous with other peoples property isn’t it.

From reading the early reports of the scheme, it seems as though the £350 quid a month is payable per household not refugee and would be taxed. I guess it is designed to cover additional household bills like heat and water.

Ukrainians are to be given access to benefits etc so they will have an income and presumably will be able to work? I'm sure there will be huge localised support networks in urban areas as well as church and charity groups

I was listening to some interviews with families that have previously hosted refugees and there were some lovely life affirming experiences. But it would be a huge commitment. We have an long empty granny flat that is more or less self contained. New bedding and towels etc would make it habitable and comfortable and I was thinking it would be suitable maybe for an older couple or a family with an SEN member. I think understandably mums and little kids might find an open door more readily.

@mrsmolks I think latent racism and intolerance are fairly common if that’s what you mean but frankly I doubt you have as little in common with people from the Middle East or as much as you do with Ukrainians as you think you do. Neither are likely to have watched the same tv, eaten the same food, or prayed in the same church as you. They will all be humans some good some bad, but no, it’s not a given that one will be easier to live with than another. I understand racism and intolerance when I see it but I pray I’m a long way from the acceptance and encouragement your sentiments display. As for Middle Eastern countries putting their hands up, Syria and Jordan took in millions from the war we caused in the Middle East and there has been a domino effect of destabilisation and destruction ever since. Who do you think CAN help from that side?

@5zeds if you believe that people who live in the U.K. will have as much similarity in terms of culture and values with another western nation as one in the ME that's your call. Having visited both regions extensively I would say this is categorically untrue. It's not racism it's a fact

Ahh well you see I too have first hand experience so perhaps it’s just we turned up with very different values.

@PandoraRocks

Well said *@stuntbubbles*. Article in the Guardian yesterday about Abersoch, a seaside village in North Wales. The place is full of Airbnbs, about 46% in fact.

This village is in a traditionally Welsh speaking area and the culture and community has been destroyed by rich outsiders who stay there a few weeks a year. The place is empty in the winter. Locals are living in caravans because they can't afford the absurd house prices.

I would far rather the empty houses were filled with Ukranians who would live and work there.

And what jobs would they do? The reason why second homes exist in the first place is because of young people leaving. Homes are empty, people buy as second homes, and this exacerbates the vicious cycle.

Dumping a whole load of people who have nothing into an already deprived area is only going to make things worse.