Family Early Help
Are Ukrainian families entitled to housing?
Ukrainian families have the option of leave to remain for up to 3 years and the Government has amended the housing regulations so that Ukrainian refugees are eligible for homelessness assistance. Families should be informed of this right, and you can find more information here
Housing Rights Information - Help for Ukrainian refugees (housing-rights.info)
We know that the hosting arrangement between the Camden resident and the family may come to an end at some point, and likely within 6-12 months of the Ukraine guests arriving. This is because the Government asked UK residents to commit to hosting guests for a minimum of 6 months. Hosts may choose to continue beyond the initial six months if they and their guest wish to. The £350 a month thank you payment is for up to 12 months.
We want to do all we can to prevent homelessness and support families to maintain a positive living arrangement with their host for as long as possible. We also want to support families who want to find more longer-term accommodation, for example in the private rented sector.
What should I do if the family want help with housing?
Private Renting
If the family would like to explore private rented accommodation, there is information here Finding a home - Camden Council.
You can also give them this Guide to How to Rent booklet which has information about how private renting in England works How to Rent - The checklist for renting in England (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Make sure the family have information about the housing element of Universal Credit which they can claim if they are looking to privately rent. There is more information about this here Housing costs and Universal Credit: What you can get - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
You can connect them with CAB Camden for more help with UC and housing benefit if needed Benefits and Money | Family Early Help (camden.gov.uk)
Social Housing
It is unlikely the family will be able to apply to join the social housing register as they will not have lived in Camden for 5 out of the last 7 years (this is one of the eligibility criteria for joining the register - you can find more about that here Apply for housing - Camden Council ). There are some exemptions to this rule which you can find here Apply for housing - Camden Council
It is important you give information about social housing - including the eligibility criteria and the exemptions - to the family so they have all the facts about social housing applications and can decide whether they wish to try and apply (if for example they think they would meet one of the exemptions).
Please don't give advice on social housing yourself unless you are qualified to do so or have expertise in it. Please connect the family to the Camden Homelessness Prevention team or CAB Camden Housing - Citizens Advice
Homelessness
If the family would like to talk with someone about homelessness, connect them with Camden Homeless Prevention Team At risk of being homeless - Camden Council
There is a dedicated email address for the Homelessness Prevention team working specifically with Ukraine refugees [email protected]. Please make sure you connect families with this team as soon as you can if homelessness looks like it will become an issue.
Will there be opportunities for families to find new 'hosts'?
There are circumstances where Camden can seek to find new hosts for Ukraine refugees. This is known as 're-matching'. At the moment (at 9 June 2022), re-matching can only take place:
- When the local authority determines it is genuinely not viable or safe for the
Ukrainian guest(s) to stay where they are. - Because of failed DBS or accommodation checks
If living arrangements are feeling difficult (for example if the 'house rules' aren't clear), you could consider exploring a living agreement with the host and guest. You can find an example of a living agreement here naccom-hosting-guest-agreement.pdf (camden.gov.uk)
and there is more information on this topic here Support for Hosts | Family Early Help (camden.gov.uk)
If you are working with a family where the hosting arrangements are experiencing difficulty, please contact Lea for advice (on Outlook).
National Organisations Offering Help to Find Hosts
There are three national organisations who are offering help to organise matches of Ukraine guests with UK hosts. Camden can't endorse or recommend these organisations as we do not know enough about them yet, but you can provide the information below to guests with that caveat
Refugees At Home - Host / Refer a Guest / Donate
Shelter4Ukraine - find and offer shelter in Europe for Ukrainians