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.

@PourSomeLove

well in the case of Ukrainians, it is mostly women and kids because the men haven’t been allowed to leave and have been conscripted into the army

There’s plenty of men refugees. Most posters on other threads have not been willing to have young teen boys either.

I literally have no space in my house so can’t host anyone but I’d be willing to take in any refugee if I did, including men or teenaged boys.

Yabu

But the idea isn’t that the government match it so you make a profit or break even. Most people will make a loss - be it financial or space-wise etc. It’s altruistic. If people don’t want to, for whatever reason, that’s fine.

Most people are not altruistic. It seems that ‘rich’ people are told to be altruistic though.

Also, a lot of holiday homes are in areas that are already struggling with a lack of public services. My local GP practice has closed to new patients, there are no dentists, the hospitals are struggling…..

[quote Letshaveablackcelebration]@Enzbear but my point is that if the government would pay to cover costs...[/quote]

It won't ever be the government paying though....it will be you and me and everyone else on this thread through increased taxes and increased council taxes to pay for the increased needs

AND it's falling on the everyday citizen to house the refugees and advocate for them

The government are setting up a website and throwing a bit of pocket money at it....

@GucciBear

I would not. When you take a booking you can have a check on who the tenants are. I know the situation is desperate for a lot of decent people but backgrounds - and covid jabs? are not being checked. If you live a way from your home how on earth would you make sure it is not being wrecked. Doubt the Government would cover costs.

Covid jabs? 🤣

I literally have no space in my house so can’t host anyone but I’d be willing to take in any refugee if I did, including men or teenaged boys.

But you don’t have space so you can’t. So why are you telling us? And if you did have space are we’re going to do it, why tell us? Just do it.

I wonder what conversations and obstacles took place in WW2 when children and refugees were evacuated, other really poor countries like Moldova are opening up their homes.

Once that idea has been cemented we can hope that the homeless already here can also be housed in the same way. Nobody, existing citizens or refugee should be without a roof over their head.

@daisypond yes exactly! Government covers costs. There is going to need to be an entire system of support put in place accross the country to facilitate this anyway so not sure how rural towns are any different to cities.

French villages are taking people & stepping
Up. The idea that refugees can only come to cities is nonsense. These towns cope with tourists so why can’t they cope with refugees?

That should say,

But you don’t have space so you can’t. So why are you telling us? And if you did have space and were going to do it, why tell us? Just do it.

@PourSomeLove

But the idea isn’t that the government match it so you make a profit or break even. Most people will make a loss - be it financial or space-wise etc. It’s altruistic. If people don’t want to, for whatever reason, that’s fine.

Most people are not altruistic. It seems that ‘rich’ people are told to be altruistic though.

In my experience, it’s the poorer members of society who are the most altruistic, not the rich.

A lot of people with holiday homes count the rental income as part of their household income and can be fully dependent on it. Would you host the family in your home AND give up half of your income? That’s effectively what you are asking.

Yes £350 with the rise in energy bills

You have to be very trusting

@CannaBelieve but we are going to HAVE to step up in the way Europe has stepped up. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet the scale of this crisis. Europe seem to understand more because they understand WW2 and what it means to be invaded and occupied. Britain never experienced that so maybe that’s why we don’t really really understand or seem to empathise in the same way.

And as I have said, I will offer a room.

We need to be aware that there will be high levels of trauma and mental health for which support will be needed, language and social interaction will need addressing, these refugees have had their lives turned upside down in a matter of days and won't thrive in isolated hamlets and villages away from their own

@PourSomeLove

I literally have no space in my house so can’t host anyone but I’d be willing to take in any refugee if I did, including men or teenaged boys.

But you don’t have space so you can’t. So why are you telling us? And if you did have space are we’re going to do it, why tell us? Just do it.

It’s an open thread and I can post what I like thanks!

In my experience, it’s the poorer members of society who are the most altruistic, not the rich.

I think there’s very few in any walk of life.

[quote Letshaveablackcelebration]@PourSomeLove and I do have it to give. A room in my home.[/quote]
That’s not exactly the same as giving a whole Holiday home up

@starlight48 yes and every single one of us are only a step away from that. It could easily be us.

@BlanketsBanned

I wonder what conversations and obstacles took place in WW2 when children and refugees were evacuated, other really poor countries like Moldova are opening up their homes.

People were told they had to take children, it wasn't all altruistic and rose tinted. I read a thread yesterday about lots of children being very unhappy with their hosts and/or put to work in the fields. The process had also been described by an historian as a 'paedophile's charter' apparenly.

People are so very keen to romanticise wartime Britian. People were still people then as now.

I feel that the gov is setting us up to fail and are pushing any responsibility on to us...when not enough people come forward with offers they will say that the British public are not willing to house refugees, they can't come unless there is an pffer of accommodation as I understand it.
Just heard a guy on the radio say he has checked his house insurance and if he lets a stranger stay his policy is void
A bit different to Germany where people stood at the train station holding up details of accommodation they could offer

@BeHappy91818 no, it’s actually having people come and live in my home. It’s very different and that’s my point. House people in need in the millions of empty homes!

[quote Letshaveablackcelebration]@starlight48 yes and every single one of us are only a step away from that. It could easily be us.[/quote]
are you in a position to support someone with extreme trauma due to them having to flee a war zone and leaving behind their elderly parents or grandparents?

Financially I could probably take in a refugee. Space-wise we could manage. Practically, I have two young children. Mentally? I wouldn't be so arrogant as to suggest I'd know the first place to start.

It’s an open thread and I can post what I like thanks! wink

You can. I’m just wondering why you need to tell us. I don’t feel the need to tell people if I do a good deed, just wondering the reasons behind you feeling you need to tell people, even though you can’t do it.