To dump my Ukrainian guests as homeless?

[razzbo]

It's not as evil as it sounds, bear with me. They have been living with me for 6 months and their jobs here have ended. I live in a very rural place, they don't drive and don't speak English. There is basically no chance of them getting other jobs here. The jobs they had here were given out of charity to be honest. They have found new jobs in Scotland - all 3 of them working in the same place, full time, £10 an hour, where there are other Ukrainians. Which I think they are very lucky to get considering they speak no English.

So we looked at finding them somewhere to rent but they looked at the price of rent and said no. They wanted me to find them a new sponsor so they could live for free. I tried my hardest but the council said no, and facebook said no. There are no sponsors. The council said to try the housing associations for a cheap place so I tried them all. Took forever to get answers out of them but the answers were no. They still won't rent privately. Then one of the housing association people suggested I make them homeless so that they get given temporary accommodation. My guests were up for this. I phoned around and found out all the details. 5 separate council employees (both here and in Scotland) said it was an OK idea and that they would be given somewhere to live. The plan was made - I was meant to be taking them next week and leaving them there. I phoned the council in Scotland today to just check the times of the homelessness drop-in and to check whether there was anything else I needed to know. Again, all was fine.

THEN the woman phoned me back to say she'd spoken to her manager who had said that because they are in England now and are registered at my address, they can't be made homeless in Scotland (even though they have jobs there, i.e. a reason to be there). She said that if I took them to the drop-in the council would not accept responsibility for them and would not give them housing and I would actually be making them PROPERLY HOMELESS and they would be sleeping on the street.

I cried on the phone. Basically, the truth is that I have to get rid of them. I can't handle them living in my house any more. I have been so kind and nice to them but it's been too much. They won't leave unless they have jobs to go to as they just want the money. They refuse to rent. I could make them homeless here but I would have to live with them hating me and crying at me (they do this a lot to get their way) while waiting for their new accommodation.

I was so close to being free. If I'd never phoned the council today I could have just taken them to Scotland and left them and been none the wiser about it all. What should I do? If it was you, would you just take them anyway? Surely the council has a duty of care to anyone who turns up saying they are homeless? Surely if you are a homeless human being it doesn't matter which county you last lived in? Also they have a child with them. Surely they will be given somewhere to stay if I take them to the drop-in?

*Price

If there are 3 of them working full time then they'll be bringing in nearly 5 grand a month! They need to bloody rent somewhere! Can't they stay in an Airbnb while they find somewhere to rent?

So we looked at finding them somewhere to rent but they looked at the price of rent and said no. They wanted me to find them a new sponsor so they could live for free.

Did you all miss that bit of the OP's post?

So what did you think the exit strategy was when you took them in?

With respect, you are talking about the law in NI and not in Scotland . It’s a different legal system. There is no Housing Executive and all tenancies are monthly.

They'll be bringing in a heck of a lot more than most families.

'Cultural differences'

Except its hosts that have to do all the compromising in situations like this and the guests that don't bother to listen when hosts bluntly say 'culturally that's not OK here and you need to rent'.

There is a point where if you don't make the effort, when you have the means you are taking the piss. Culturally speaking.

OP needs to point this out, if she hasn't already, and say I get you might expect this, but you aren't in Ukraine anymore and that is not how things work here.

Instead the OP has taken on all this emotional baggage tripping over herself trying to accommodate their 'cultural differences' at her economic and social expense.

The OP is allowed to say enough is enough, you need to adjust to the cultural expectations here and you are not respecting me.

Cos they aren't.

Does anyone want to take me in? 😁

Actually when I posted on Facebook trying to find them a sponsor, a kind man offered to pay their deposit and be a guarantor for them, so if they did want to rent I could use that. Unless he's changed his mind. I'm tempted to rent them somewhere and just tell them the council organised it.

This has really caused some debate - wow. Thank you all for being so kind and offering solutions etc. I still don't know what to do but I'm looking at Rightmove again and have a list of places to phone in the morning.

I'm impressed they got a job. I have a Ukrainian with me, she has absolutely refused point blank the jobs that have been offered to her (supermarket, cafe, factory). She considers them beneath her and all Ukrainian people, these jobs are for Portuguese people apparently, and yes, she did really say that, banging her hand on the table with each word.

If they all have jobs, they can rent privately.like most people have to. They could always stay in a hotel or b and b at their own expense till they realise it's cheaper to rent.you have to tell them that that is their only option now .sounds like they are taking advantage of your very kind nature .

So they can earn £400 each, 3 of them each week. Possibly some overtime too. £1200 per week between them, they can rent privately like millions of others. They might be entitled to some HB. You have done your bit and they sound very entitled.

@razzbo What about somewhere like this in Livingston?
www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/62695990/?search_identifier=7b9fc625ad39651e85c619dfc15f4529

People are making a lot of assumptions about their current financial situation. They have jobs to go to, not current jobs
The did have jobs here which are no longer available and the OP hasn't said what the hours or pay were and whether they would have been in any position to save enough money to set up for moving

Ukrainian refugees are able to claim universal credit. They have been living rent free. There is no reason they could not have saved up.

Anyone tried going to an estate agent and renting based on a prospective job and future wages (usually due in a month or so's time)?

Landlords aren't exactly dishing out properties like sweeties at the moment. Especially not to foreigners who don't speak English have no guarantors and no LL reference (and presumably no credit check)

Please don't make another poor generous soul responsible for these people. You don't understand how differently they view things. They will expect most things for free!

Some possible sources of support for them
www.charitytranslators.org/LinksforUkraine#Templates
www.augb.co.uk/ (Association of Ukrainians in GB)
www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/get-help-as-a-refugee/help-for-refugees-from-ukraine

Sorry cross posted about the OP about a possible guarantor!

tell them to present to Your local council as street homeless and they will be housed
there is a national agreement that Ukrainian refugees will not be made homeless
even without that the child and parents would be housed anyway by law

Yes, have done in the past. Found me feet eventually. I think they claim UC while they're here too? So surely they have some money saved up? Have they tried to learn English?

Easily possible to have in the region of £2k after two months on minimum wage if paying fuck all in expenses.

"These people" are refugees. Have you seen the state of their home? Wonder how many of their friends have been killed?

The language in some of these posts is shocking.

Who looks after the child while they are working?

I looked at furnished properties when I was leaving my ex. But it really wasn't worth the extra rent and I would have to replace anything damaged. So I ordered a new double bed didn't want the one I shared with him. My daughter slept with me and my son on an inflatable mattress. All I had was a microwave to cook. I had bought crockery and cutlery to take with us. All I had to sit on was a pouffe. Until a friend gave me a sofa with a throw. It can be done on very little if you really want to.

I have an empty, self-contained flat which I have registered under the Homes for Ukraine scheme with our local council. Two days ago I met a couple who hopefully should be moving in. They had a lovely older couple as sponsors but understandably want their own space. They have had Homes for Ukraine money for 5 months and I will now get it for the remaining 6 or 7 months. The lady from the council said they expect the scheme to be extended. Essentially they will be taking on something very similar to an AST but without the inherent rights not to be evicted. I'm not expected to help them apart from offering them the space. After 6 months, both parties will review and if they want to stay I will negotiate rent with them. But for now they get it for free and I get £350/mth. Is there nothing similar either where you are or in Scotland? It's not really being a sponsor as such, more like a landlord.

I've seen people come from worse who worked their fingers to the bone. The UK is not some idyllic financial paradise. We're in almost as much debt as we earn!