Council inundated with offers of support for housing Ukrainian refugees

The Council would like to thank everyone in Orkney who has generously offered support to Ukrainian refugees.

The level of hospitality and kindness locally has been outstanding and now officers have begun to work their way through all the offers of assistance, particularly in relation to the recent OIC appeal for available private sector properties. There’s still time to contact the Council if you are a registered landlord and can offer assistance or if you have registered to take part in the UK Government scheme.

The Council’s Corporate Director of Education, Leisure and Housing, James Wylie, said the response to the appeal had been heartwarming, but no surprise given Orkney’s generous track record.

“We have been inundated with offers of support, not just in terms of properties for let or rooms within houses, but also in terms of assisting in other ways. We are very grateful for the swiftness with which people have responded.

“Our officers are now trying to work as quickly as they can, in addition to their day-to-day work, and are making their way through the list of properties to ascertain those which are suitable. They will be in contact with the owners to ask for an inspection to be carried out to ensure that the needs of the Ukrainian people who will be resettled here are met. I’m sure we all want the absolute best experience for those who have been through so much already.”

The Council is working in line with Scottish Government guidance and in tandem with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) as it works its way through this process.

Mr Wylie added: “We have detailed procedures in place covering all aspects of the preparation process ready to receive refugees. We are also working with Voluntary Action Orkney to ensure appropriate arrangements are in place for volunteering which is a vital part of the jigsaw.

“We have also been receiving many calls from people wishing to donate items – while this is very generous, we cannot accept goods or offers of practical help at this time as we simply do not know what may be required until the properties are processed, and we are given a profile of those households who may be coming to Orkney and what their specific needs may be.

“I again assure you that our teams are working tirelessly to ensure this is as swift as it can be given our finite staffing resource. We all want to help.”

Background:

All Councils in Scotland have been asked, through CoSLA if they can assist with resettling some Ukrainian households.

A funding package was announced by the First Minister on 17 March 2022 but the detail of how this will be distributed has not been released.

In addition to this, the UK Government has also launched a “Homes for Ukraine” scheme.

This enables individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to volunteer accommodation - whether it is self-contained accommodation or a room within a house.

Phase One of the scheme will allow sponsors in the UK to nominate a named Ukrainian or a named Ukrainian family. Individual sponsors will be asked to provide homes or a spare room rent-free for as long as they are able, with a minimum stay of 6 months. In return, they will receive £350 per month.

The scheme opened on Friday 18 March for visa applications from Ukrainians and immediate family members who already have named people willing to sponsor them.

People who would like to be sponsors, who do not know anyone personally fleeing Ukraine can also record their interest in being a sponsor. Charities, faith groups and local community organisations are helping to facilitate connections between individuals, for potential sponsors who do not have a named contact.

Local people who are intending to register for the scheme should advise the Council that they have registered in order that the Council can collect a list – if you haven’t already been in touch, you can email housing@orkney.gov.uk.