(1 year, 6 months ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Felicity Buchan)
Over 120,000 Ukrainians have now arrived in the UK through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The generosity of British families willing to open their homes to those seeking shelter has been extraordinary.
Today, I am pleased to confirm the allocation of the £150 million UK-wide funding that will be made available to local authorities and devolved administrations in 2023-24. This will ensure that Ukrainian guests can be supported to move into their own homes and reduce the risk of homelessness.
The funding will be allocated across the UK in relation to the proportion of Ukrainian guests in each part of the UK. Devolved Administrations will receive their share of the funding at supplementary estimates via budget cover transfer.
Funding will be allocated to all local authorities in England reflecting both Homes for Ukraine arrival numbers reported for each local authority and wider homelessness pressures. As a top-up to the existing homelessness prevention grant, this grant is ringfenced to ensure local authorities are resourced to prevent homelessness. We expect funding will be prioritised for supporting our Ukrainian guests into sustainable accommodation, for example through access to the private rental sector, supporting employment access, and facilitating ongoing sponsorship into guests’ second year.
Local authorities are best placed to understand the support needed for local communities and, within England, this funding may also be used to support other people at risk of homelessness in line with local pressures. The details of allocations to devolved administrations and local authorities have now been published on www.gov.uk.
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