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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

660 replies

Letshaveablackcelebration · 13/03/2022 13:54

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.

OP posts:
AngelinaFibres · 13/03/2022 16:06

@Letshaveablackcelebration

I would really love to know though what people would do if you were left in the same situation as these refugees. If you had no money; no access to health care, you were relying on the care of strangers for everything. What would your expectation be? That someone would be kind enough to provide all those things for you? And not put up loads of barriers to you having a secure safe place to live with your kids. You’d go anywhere and wouldn’t worry if it was rural Cornwall or not to be honest as long as you were safe. Some of the comments on here are unbelievable to be honest.
In the initial period of panic and trauma you would be glad to be out of harms way. In the long term living with strangers in a place where you do not speak the language, cannot easily get about, cannot find a school place for your child and struggle to find work would start to wear very thin for all parties . There is a romanticised view of evacuees during the 2nd WW that it was all idyllic and lovely. Many , many of them returned to London because the reality of their placements was so awful.
Gherkingreen · 13/03/2022 16:07

I'd rather see the empty, seized homes of oligarchs being used to house refugees first.
We don't have a spare room but if we did, I'd like to think I'd seriously consider opening up our home to Ukrainian refugees.

Original poster
Letshaveablackcelebration · 13/03/2022 16:07

@CannaBelieve you have offered nothing constructive to this debate at all. Apart from insinuating that I am somehow stupid. This thread just exposes how really, most people in the U.K. don’t want refugees here at all.

OP posts:
Iwant2move · 13/03/2022 16:08

My holiday homes book up a year in advance. They are my income since my husband was killed. No, I won't be offering them up. £350 would get you a weekend.

Movinghouseatlast · 13/03/2022 16:08

I own two holiday homes, both built in my garden. They are my only income,ie my job, soI say it is not reasonable to expect people to give thrse up. However, I will take someone into my home as we have a spare room. I expect it to be very difficult but I think if it were me escaping with nothing I would want someone to do that for me.

I live in Cornwall but in a village. Whoever I take would easily be able to get a job within walking distance for the next 6 months. I'm hoping that I can find someone who is a chef as there are so many vacancies here- restaurants are desperate. At least they would be able to keep busy and feel useful and earn decent money. The psychological scars will be awful, many will have PTSD and that will be difficult to deal with but we have to try.

GrendelsGrandma · 13/03/2022 16:09

We've only taken about three refugees because our putin-sponsored brexit means no forriners no more.

Original poster
Letshaveablackcelebration · 13/03/2022 16:10

@AngelinaFibres but isn’t that where we are now. Trying to offer people shelter to get them out of harms way? Most Ukrainians will want to go home to their own country but at the moment they just need safety. And Britain had a responsibility to offer that - just as other countries have.

OP posts:
AngelinaFibres · 13/03/2022 16:12

[quote Letshaveablackcelebration]@AngelinaFibres but isn’t that where we are now. Trying to offer people shelter to get them out of harms way? Most Ukrainians will want to go home to their own country but at the moment they just need safety. And Britain had a responsibility to offer that - just as other countries have.[/quote]
They will not be able to return home for years.

Kanaloa · 13/03/2022 16:12

I think there’s a big difference between ‘not wanting refugees here at all’ and ‘not wanting to give up your home and income to refugees.’

I mean it’s easy to be generous with other people’s belongings. Everyone who earns more than minimum wage should give all the excess to refugees to help them along in the UK. I don’t so I can’t but if I did I would so you should because you can. Not me. But you should.

Jvg33 · 13/03/2022 16:12

@Notimeforaname

Will you be giving up yours? Or a room ?
I was thinking the same. I doubt op has a second home.
Somuddled · 13/03/2022 16:12

@Letshaveablackcelebration

The outrage on here is very telling isn’t it. It’s fine to have strangers in your holiday home if they are paying loads or cash.

But it’s not fine to have strangers who are government subsidised refugee families fleeing war in your holiday home as they are somehow different.

The money is what's different. There is no way the government could cover the costs at a rate which holiday homes come at. People would be losing money.
GabriellaMontez · 13/03/2022 16:12

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Alexandra2001 · 13/03/2022 16:12

@TheOnlyMrsMac Register as a business, make less than the tax threshold amount, the business is then zero rated for business rates.

Along comes CV, Government offers 10k for "struggling" businesses... Boom!
Not only 2nd home owners but many trades claimed the 10k BUT continued working.....

www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/holiday-home-owners-claimed-50-4077648

There were conditions i.e. the business had to been operational for min period.

As i said earlier, many 2nd homes are NOT rented out at all, they are w/e retreats for their owners/family and friends.

Zero sympathy, these people have wrecked places in Cornwall (and else where) & now asked to help out in an international emergency, they moan :(

XenoBitch · 13/03/2022 16:13

No one has said they don't want refugees... but the situation is so much more complicated than just providing a roof and a bed.
If you insist people give up their holiday lets etc for refugees, then why have you not insisted on the same for the homeless that have been here years already?
The refugees will have already suffered a huge trauma for being ripped away from their own home and comforts, possibly seeing awful things too. They could already have pre-existing health/mental health issues.

Kanaloa · 13/03/2022 16:13

And everyone with a second car in the family should give the second one to a refugee family so they can get around. We can’t but you should. Because they need it. Yes it’s your car and you bought it and you need it to get to work but so? They need it too.

Original poster
Letshaveablackcelebration · 13/03/2022 16:13

@AngelinaFibres so if that is the case, why are we expecting other countries to bear the whole burden then? Why should Poland take 800,000 people when we take 1000 then? There will be millions more leaving too.

OP posts:
needmoreshinys · 13/03/2022 16:15

@Momicrone

Needmoreshinys, I'm sure the Queen's not the only one with spare bedrooms
No but she is the only I know of with 750 odd rooms in the middle of London and she is not using it, she is moving to Winsdor.
Original poster
Letshaveablackcelebration · 13/03/2022 16:16

@GabriellaMontez who the hell do you think you are? You know nothing about me- don’t come on here so you can make vile statements about me.

OP posts:
douper · 13/03/2022 16:16

It's a sad state of affairs that so many people rely on their 2nd homes for an income & explains why the housing market is so distorted.

GabriellaMontez · 13/03/2022 16:21

[quote Letshaveablackcelebration]@GabriellaMontez who the hell do you think you are? You know nothing about me- don’t come on here so you can make vile statements about me.[/quote]
Who do you think you are?
Offering other people's homes as your simplistic solution to a complex problem. Ignoring the difficulties people have raised and claiming this thread is proof that we don't want refugees?

PourSomeLove · 13/03/2022 16:21

This thread just exposes how really, most people in the U.K. don’t want refugees here at all.

It’s hasn’t ‘exposed’ that at all. It’s just shown that you and a few other posters are extremely naive.

I firmly believe that we should take in more refugees. I also know that they will do better if they are allowed to be with other refugees, people that speak their language. Housing could be built for them, hotels could be used. It needs to be organised centrally. I am prepared to pay more tax and continue to donate, but I will not give a spare room or house or caravan in the middle of nowhere because I am allowed to also care about my families lives and safety and it would also not provide the refugees with the best chance of settling here and feeling secure after going through the trauma that they have.

The government need to take responsibility for this, not make it the people’s problem by paying them £350. Again the government have succeeded in getting us squabbling amongst ourselves instead of stepping up properly. refugees deserve better quite frankly.

Alexandra2001 · 13/03/2022 16:23

This thread just exposes how really, most people in the U.K. don’t want refugees here at all

Bingo! they didn't want Jews coming here in the 30s either, similar schemes i.e. sponsorship, time limited stays.

We are very good at sending money for other people to do the heavy lifting though.

WonderfulYou · 13/03/2022 16:23

Exactly - when everyone in this country who has a spare room going gladly allows some refugees (or even homeless people in this country? Doesn't charity start at home?) live in it for free il gladly let people stay in my holiday home for a while.

There’s a massive difference between having someone in your spare room, around your children, sharing your bathroom and kitchen etc than them being in a second home where you’re not having your children live with a complete stranger.

Cleothecat75 · 13/03/2022 16:25

@douper

It's a sad state of affairs that so many people rely on their 2nd homes for an income & explains why the housing market is so distorted.
I agree
OnceuponaRainbow18 · 13/03/2022 16:27

@Letshaveablackcelebration

Out of interest how exactly are you planning to help? You said you’d be happy to give up a room… have you got this process in motion?