OFFICER DECISION

Decision:   Home For Ukraine – budget update

Decision Date: 1 May 2024

Type of Decision: Director                                      Key

x

    Non-Key

Portfolio Area that decision relates to:

Leader (inc Corporate Services, Policy, Strategy & Partnerships)

Environment and Climate Emergency

Economy & Transport

Finance, Performance, Major Projects & Equalities

Children, Young People and Education

Children, Young People & Education

Health, Wellbeing and Adults Social Care

Housing, Planning & Safer Communities

x

Background / Decision Summary:

1. The report recommends approval of two decisions:

· Use £198k of 2023-4 underspend to fund staffing in 2024-5 and 2025-6

2. York has received £3841k through the Homes For Ukraine (HfU) scheme. Of this a spend of £3,391,000 has been agreed through Executive, an additional £450,000 has arrived since previous decisions were made.

	Exec Report	Actual	Var
2022/23	974	864	-110
2023/24	1.302	891	-411
2024/25	1,115	TBC
Income	3,391	3,841	-450

3. As of March 2024 York has welcomed 397 individuals via the Homes for Ukraine Scheme in York who have been housed by 215 Host households. To date the refugee resettlement team (RRT) Have supported 266 Ukrainians to move on from host arrangements; 178 of these have moved into private rented accommodation in York and 22 have found private rented accommodation outside of York. 87 Ukrainians have left York to return to the Ukraine or another country*. Ukrainian guests continue to arrive, however at a much slower rate than in the early stages of the program.

4. There are currently 73 Host households accommodating 122 individuals that require support to move on to live independently. 

5. To further assist in reducing the housing pressures, York employed a YorHome Refugee Development Worker until 31.03.25 to carry out a marketing campaign to attract potential Landlords with incentives to encourage provision of their private rented accommodation to the refugees in York (through Homeless prevention funding).

6. The original budget for H4U proposed no staffing or other budget past 31.05.25, however it is anticipated that a large number of Ukrainian guests will remain and is likely that a number will continue to be accommodated by host families. The government currently funds new arrivals at £5900 per person plus a thank you payment of £350 per month to the host rising to £500 per month after a year.  

7. In addition there has been an increase in those with positive Asylum decisions approaching CYC with housing need and related support needs. As the majority of these households are currently being housed by CYC through the homeless or housing options route this has created additional pressures.

8. It is proposed that £128k of underspend from 2023-4 financial year is used to fund a reduced staffing budget in 2025-6

	2024-5	2025-6	cost
Refugee resettlement supervisor	1	0.5	25,160
Refugee resettlement worker	3	1.5	65,398
Refugee resettlement coordinator	1	0.5	17,785
YorHome development worker			£19,494
			£127,837

9. In addition to the direct pressures of supporting refugees there are increased pressures on the housing and homeless service due to the complexity of customer need and a reduction or tightening of criteria in other support services. It is proposed to fund a 1 year pilot of 0.5 Local Area Coodinator and 1 tenancy sustainment officer for temporary accommodation and traveler sites.

10. The tenancy sustainment officer would work across temporary accommodation and the 3 CYC run traveler sites providing targeted coaching and education sessions to help customers to become tenancy ready and/or to sustain a tenancy, reducing the need for referrals into resettlement or future tenancy enforcement action. This officer would also organize specialist sessions for customers via outside agencies e.g. substance use. This mirrors the provision in Howe Hill and Peaseholme hostels, however this has never been provided in temporary accommodation or traveler sites. Using a 1 year pilot would give an opportunity to see what outcomes this can deliver and is timely given the potential expansion of traveler pitch provision in York.

11. The Local Area Coordinator would work across housing and homelessness to do targeted work with complex individuals who are otherwise at risk of serious wellbeing impacts and/or homelessness. This would be matched with further funding through the homeless prevention grant 2024-5. This will help to mitigate funding reductions elsewhere.

	2024-5	cost
Local area coordinator housing and homelessness	0.5	25,160
Tenancy sustainment officer temporary accommodation and traveler sites	1	38,987
		£64,147

12.  This creates a total of £191,983 staffing costs in 2024-5 and 2025-6 in addition to those identified in the original exec report.

13. £450,000 has been received since the original budget was agreed, a separate decision paper is being written regarding this funding and the underspend from previous financial years for 2025-6 and onwards.

Options for HfU Considered:

Option 1:

Staffing	Total cost
Refugee resettlement  Supervisor 0.5 Refugee resettlement worker 1.5 Refugee resettlement coordinator 0.5 YorHome development worker refugees 0.5 Local area coordinator 0.5 Tenancy sustainment officer temporary accommodation and traveler sites 1 + Grant funding for organisations £90k	£192,701.25

Option 2:

Staffing	Total cost
No further staffing and remove the grant funding pot.	£0

Option 2 results in a larger underspend which could be used to fund wider council services, however it also leaves the council in a vulnerable position where it is unlikely that adequate support will be offered to Ukrainian refugees in 2025-6 as well as those approaching housing and homeless services after receiving positive asylum decisions. It is unlikely further government funding will be made available for those who have already arrived.

In addition option 2 does not help in meeting the wider support and tenancy sustainment needs of customers in temporary accommodation and traveler sites or the ongoing funding needs of LACs.

Options Rejected:

14. Option 2 is rejected due to the risk that this will lead to an increase in homeless presentations, poorer outcomes for refugees/asylum seekers and reputational damage to the council. Although the short term savings are greater it is likely that in the medium term this would lead to increased costs to the council through the provision of more expensive services.  

Consultation Process:

Consultation has been undertaken with colleagues across housing and communities to identify the most appropriate way to use this funding to meet customer need.

Implications

Crime & Disorder

Equalities

Highways

Human Resources

Legal

ICT

Financial

x

Affordability

Property

Climate Change

Health

Other

Environment

Human Rights

Implications Contact: Patrick Looker

Level of Risk:  Regular monitoring

Wards Affected:

All Wards

√

Fishergate

Holgate

Rural West York

Acomb

Fulford & Heslington

Hull Road

Strensall

Bishopthorpe

Guildhall

Huntington & New Earswick

Westfield

Clifton

Haxby & Wigginton

Micklegate

Wheldrake

Copmanthorpe

Heworth

Osbaldwick & Derwent

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe

Heworth Without

Rawcliffe & Clifton

Comments/Observations: Decision:  Agreed Option 1
Decision Made by:  Neil Ferris, Corporate Director of Place Contact Details:  email: neil.ferris@york.gov.uk
On behalf of:   Corporate Director of Place
To be implemented by:	Denis Southall / Laura Williams
On Completion – Signed off by:   Neil Ferris, Corporate Director of Place		Date: 01.05.24