Improved housing support for Ukrainian refugees

The residents of Wandsworth have shown incredible generosity to take in the second highest number of Ukrainian refugees of all London boroughs, and the fifth highest of all English lower-tier local authorities.

The council is seeking to step up its own support for its Ukrainian refugees by announcing the expansion of its pilot scheme for assisting Ukrainian refugees into the private rented sector.

The scheme involves caseworkers working directly with refugees and landlords to find suitable properties and conduct affordability assessments.

Once the property has been found suitable and the landlord has agreed to the terms, the council is paying 6 weeks' rent in advance and the deposit to secure the tenancy. The council will then act as the guarantor and make up rent shortfalls over the duration of the tenancy.

The scheme has been piloted successfully with a small number of households, and will now be rolled out to provide support for all Ukrainian households in Wandsworth. 

This announcement has been made on the same day that the Mayor of Wandsworth, Juliana Annan, hosted a reception for Ukrainian MP, Natalya Pipa.

Ms Pipa was a visiting guest of Fleur Anderson MP and spent 14-15 March visiting parliament and touring some of Wandsworth’s excellent voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations.

The mayoral reception was also attended by a number of Wandsworth’s Ukrainian refugees, VCS organisations who have provided assistance, and council leader Simon Hogg.

Kemi Akinola, Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council, Business Engagement and Culture, said: “We have seen incredible support for Ukrainian refugees from the people of Wandsworth and we are reaffirming our commitment to making this a fairer and more compassionate borough through the expansion of this scheme.

“We are a diverse, vibrant, compassionate and welcoming borough - fully committed to becoming a Borough of Sanctuary for those fleeing wars and repression around the world.”

The reception was a chance to celebrate Wandsworth’s excellent work with Ukrainian refugees and the generosity of its residents, and for the council to hear directly what more it can do.