The Scarborough Borough is to get £744,000 of government funding to help buy houses for Ukrainian and Afghan refugees who have settled in the area.
The grant from the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities is provided as match funding to enable registered providers to acquire the homes at a total cost of around £1.16m.
The homes, which should be ready by November 2023, can only be allocated for their intended purpose and will provide “a legacy within the total social housing stock” once refugees return home.
The Borough Council's executive member for Housing and Communities - Councillor Carl Maw - has welcomed the money.
The funding being provided from Government aims to alleviate housing pressures on local authorities arising from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine. As part of this crisis the UK has welcomed over 170,000 people including more than 360 Ukrainian households who have been welcomed to North Yorkshire with 60 Ukrainian and 28 Afghan households located in the borough of Scarborough.
Within North Yorkshire, only Scarborough and Harrogate Borough Councils have been awarded funding from the Government.
The Borough Council's Housing Strategy Officer, John Burroughs, said that the notice for the grant was “very challenging” but hopes it will “help mitigate some of the pressure on sponsors, refugees, and the council”.
The Borough Council has been allocated £744,000 with a view to support the acquisition of 9 homes overall made up of 8 homes for Ukrainian families and 1 large 4 bed home for an Afghan family, John Burroughs explains how the money will be used.
Councillor Heather Philips welcomed the grant money, highlighting that it is now nearly a year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced people to flee their homes. Councillor Philips says she has been impressed by the desire of the Ukrainian refugees in the borough to integrate with the local community.
Scarborough Borough Council's cabinet voted unanimously to accept the government grant.
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