Multi-million pound refugee homes plan in Shropshire put forward

More than £7m could be spent on building homes for displaced Afghan and Ukrainian families in Shropshire.

The families, who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, would live in 30 new homes if the plans are approved by councillors next month.

Up to £3.2m of the funding would come from the government with the council proposing to borrow the rest, the local authority said.

The homes would go on to meet the authority's wider housing needs.

The authority set out its plans in a report to be discussed at a full council meeting on 2 March.

The £3.2m funding has been allocated under the Local Authority Housing Fund which was set up in December to help councils find sustainable housing for those unable to secure their own accommodation.

Shropshire Council said it planned to acquire and refurbish 30 two, three and four bedroom homes to be initially allocated to Ukrainian and Afghan refugee households.

If the authority agrees to the terms of the funding, the homes would be delivered by November.

Through borrowing £3.2m on rental income and approving a capital investment of £750,000, the council said it proposed to spend a total of £7.2m.

Currently the council is accommodating 14 homeless Ukrainian refugee households in bed and breakfasts and anticipated that number to increase over the next few months.

The report added: "Although Shropshire does not contain any bridging hotels for Afghan households, families are accommodated in the West Midlands and it is important for the council to assist where possible in providing settled accommodation.

"Given the pressures on the council surrounding its homelessness duties, and that when the initial need of providing Ukrainian and Afghan refugees a home, subsequent lettings can be used to meet the council's wider housing and homelessness pressures, it would seem pragmatic to accept the full allocation of capital funding to acquire the target number of homes and use best endeavours to deliver."

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