Substantial funding of 2.6 million pounds allocated for accommodating homeless refugees in Shropshire
In a significant move, Shropshire Council has announced plans to provide 40 homes for refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan. This initiative, funded by the second round of aid, will address the immediate needs of these families affected by conflicts in their home countries, while also aiming to alleviate wider homelessness pressures in the region.
The total funding for this programme, including both rounds, amounts to £4.29m. Of this, £1.2m comes from the government, and the council intends to match fund the round two allocation with £450,000 from 'section 106' funds and an additional £970,000 of borrowing.
In the first round of funding, agreed by councillors in March, Shropshire Council allocated £2.62m for housing refugees from Afghanistan. This round saw the provision of 30 homes. The new homes announced are an addition to this, with nine of them offered to households currently in bridging hotels in the West Midlands. The remaining homes will be used to address the needs of other refugees and those experiencing homelessness.
The new homes will range from two to four bedrooms, with one designated as temporary accommodation. The programme also aims to assist in providing settled accommodation for these families.
It's worth noting that Shropshire does not have any bridging hotels for Afghan refugees, but families are being accommodated elsewhere in the West Midlands. The council has not specified how many homes from round two will be allocated for Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, but the immediate need to help these families will be addressed first.
The responsible person for this task in Shropshire is Simon Bird. The council aims to complete the purchases by 2024. This initiative follows a previous decision to spend £7.6m on up to 30 homes for Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, which included £3.2m from the government's Local Authority Housing Fund.
The collection of 'section 106' funds from housing developers has enabled the council to fund this programme, demonstrating the importance of such funds in supporting community initiatives. This programme is a testament to Shropshire Council's commitment to providing support and accommodation for those in need.
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