Harrogate council wins £2.5m from government to house Afghan and Ukrainian refugees

Harrogate Borough Council is set to receive a £2.5 million from central government to help buy 21 homes for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees.

A report will go before the council’s Conservative-run cabinet next week that asks councillors to accept the grant and continue Harrogate’s “long and proud history” of welcoming refugees that dates back to the First World War.

Many Ukrainian families have found homes in the Harrogate district since Russia’s invasion through the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Afghan families have also arrived through resettlement schemes but there is still a “pressing need” to provide homes for those fleeing war zones, according to the report.

The money will come from the Local Authority Housing Fund, which is a £500 million grant fund launched by the government so English councils can provide housing for those unable to find accommodation.

In the Harrogate district, just over £2 million will go towards buying 19 homes for Ukrainians and just under £500,000 will help buy two larger four-bedroom homes for Afghan families currently in temporary accommodation.

Funding from the LAHF equates to 40% of the cost of a single property. A total of £20,000 per property is also available to cover administrative and repair costs.

The government asks that local authorities secure match-funding to raise the remaining money needed to buy a property and the report says Harrogate Borough Council has come to an agreement with Broadacres Housing Association, which is based in Northallerton.

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The LAHF grant will be managed by Broadacres, which will identify and buy the homes with the council’s approval.

They will then be refurbished by the housing association so they can meet the decent homes standards.

The government says all homes should be bought and ready to be moved into by November this year.

The report says:

“Harrogate has a long and proud history of welcoming those fleeing violence and oppression in their home countries. In the past, this has included Belgium victims of the First World War and Jewish people escaping the Nazis.

“More recently the area has welcomed Syrians, vulnerable children, Afghans and Ukrainians.

“The acceptance of these funds will help the UK’s humanitarian duties to assist those fleeing war and ultimately provide a lasting legacy by increasing the supply of accommodation available to local authorities to address homelessness pressures.”