Government urged to double £350 payments for Ukrainian refugee hosts or risk mass homelessness

The government has been asked to consider proposals to doubling the £350 payment to British families hosting Ukrainians amid growing fears that thousands of refugees will be left homeless.

This comes as more than a thousand hosts of Ukrainian refugees have signed an open letter urging ministers to make it easier for them to settle into permanent homes.

Around 79,000 refugees have arrived in Britain as part of of the Homes For Ukraine sponsorship program, after hosts have agreed to provide accommodation for at least six months - but some placements are coming to an end.

Nearly one in four hosts planned to end the hosting deal after six months, according to recent figures from the ONS - with many citing pressure from the cost crisis of life.

The letter from the hosts - organized by the Sanctuary Foundation - echoed calls from the Local Government Association (LGA) to increase the payment of £350 per month "thank you", which help hosts provide accommodation for more than six months.

A source close to the program told PoliticsHome that the Treasury has received a proposal to increase the payment to 700 £ for any hosts willing to extend their stay beyond six months to prevent refugees from becoming homeless.

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The source told the website she hoped a raise could be approved in the coming weeks, despite the change in the Prime Minister on September 5.

The proposal would have been p...