New hosts are being sought to take in Ukrainian refugees in Suffolk, with many reaching the end of the initial six-month period under the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. 

Charity Community Action Suffolk, which supports the voluntary sector, is holding a series of drop-in events around Suffolk providing information on hosting and what is involved and what checks will need to happen, along with the matching process. 

In particular, new hosts are being sought in Felixstowe, Lowestoft, Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds, with a need for homes able to accommodate large families of five people or more. 

Through the scheme, the Government provides £350 a month to individual sponsors who can provide a home or spare room rent-free for as long as they are able, with a minimum stay of six months. 

However, for many refugees their six-month stay has finished and while some hosts are able to continue offering them homes, others are either having to find new hosts or look to the private rental sector for accommodation. 

Latest figures from Suffolk County Council show that as of October 25, 1,169 Ukrainians had arrived in Suffolk via the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme, with the East Suffolk district welcoming the highest number - 365 - with West Suffolk receiving 308 Ukrainians. 

The Ipswich borough had received the lowest number of 98. 

Retired RAF wing commander Kim Balshaw has been helping to match Ukrainians with sponsors and said in Felixstowe they had experienced "reasonable success" in rehoming refugees when they were no longer able to stay in their original accommodation. 

He said the main issue had been to ensure the refugees were able to find employment as they needed to show they could afford to pay the rent through credit checks in order to move into private accommodation. 

East Anglian Daily Times: Mr Balshaw said his involvement with rehoming Ukrainians had highlighted the need for more housingMr Balshaw said his involvement with rehoming Ukrainians had highlighted the need for more housing (Image: PA)

Some Ukrainians had been able to find alternative accommodation through personal contacts, with one family moving to Watford and Scotland, he said, while others had found homes through letting agents. 

However, many wanted to remain in Felixstowe as their children were in schools in the area and therefore, they did not want to have to move to another area. 

Mr Balshaw said private landlords had been understanding of the situation the Ukrainians faced, appreciating that their credit history would not be as "solid" as that of a British citizen as they had only recently moved to the UK. 

But he said his involvement with the scheme had highlighted the lack of housing available and particularly a lack of effort to increase the housing stock. 

“One of the frustrations is that we just don’t see any evidence of a great effort to increase the availability of the housing stock. 

“The onus has been put on the refugees, but with some of them, their English is not so good, so the onus is on the hosts to work through the maze of the private rental market,” Mr Balshaw said. 

He suggested that mobile homes, holiday homes, second homes and unoccupied homes could be brought into use for Ukrainian refugees, but suggested it might be "politically difficult" for councils and other agencies to do so. 

“I get a £350 a month thank you payment and in isolation, I am happy with that, but if the refugee was homeless, it would cost something like £5,000 a month to house that family so hosts seem to be the easy, cheap option,” Mr Balshaw added. 

A Community Action Suffolk drop-in session will be held at Ipswich Cornhill this Tuesday (November 8) from 11.30am to 1.30pm and will be followed by another session at The Kirkley Centre in London Road South, Lowestoft, from 3pm to 5pm. 

A further session will take place at Felixstowe United Reformed Church, in Tomline Road, Felixstowe on Friday (November 11) from 12.30pm to 2.30pm.