Homes for Ukraine Scheme – What do we know so far, from a social housing perspective.

On 14^th March 2022 the government launched its Homes for Ukraine scheme.

This is what we know so far:

• Sponsors who are willing to house a Ukrainian national fleeing the conflict must ensure that their accommodation is available for at least 6 month, fit to live in and suitable for the number of people to be accommodated
• People arriving under the scheme will be able to live and work in the UK for up to 3 years along with access to healthcare, benefits, employments support, education and English language tuition.
• Sponsors will be asked to provide the accommodation rent free but will receive an options ‘thank you’ of £350 per month

So, what do does this mean if you are a social housing provider and a tenant wants to be a sponsor?

Here are some key points your organisation should start to think about:

• What do your tenancy agreements say? Can a tenant take in Ukrainian national fleeing the conflict as a lodger and or “sublet” part of the property to them? If consent is required, what criteria may your organisation consider when dealing with consent requests?
• What if the tenant leaves the property and the Ukrainian national is left in occupation?
• What happens at the end of the 6 months or earlier, if there are breaches of tenancy at the Property?
• What process will your organisation follow if it receives a request from a tenant to sponsor a Ukrainian national fleeing the conflict?
• Right to rent –It is expected that people under the scheme will be granted a limited right to rent. Do you have procedures in place to check this ? ( It is not yet clear whether you will have to, but we would expect it would form part of any consent decision making process)
• Should your organisation consider registering its interest in the scheme to see if you can play your part ?

There is very little information available at present, but this is certainly a topic Social Housing Providers need to think about.  More information can be found on the government website.

Here at MSB we will also keep an eye on developments and provide you with any further updates as and when they are given.