Is community sponsorship an effective homelessness solution for refugee households in NI?

Community sponsorship is by no means a panacea for homelessness, but experience from the Homes for Ukraine scheme has shown it can be an effective temporary solution with many tangible benefits for both the guests being accommodated and the hosts that have offered a home.  

The Homes for Ukraine scheme was launched in March 2022 as part of the UK government’s humanitarian response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The scheme offers a visa route with temporary sanctuary for Ukrainian nationals who can be matched to a volunteer host willing to provide accommodation for a minimum of six months. Across the UK, more than 200,000 people expressed an interest to become a host under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and this included more than 6,000 people in Northern Ireland. To date, over 2,582 people have arrived in Northern Ireland under a Homes for Ukraine visa. 

The Housing Executive continues to contribute to the Executive Office led cross-departmental response to the delivery of the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Northern Ireland. This response has seen effective partnership working with the UK government and across Executive departments, public bodies, local councils and voluntary organisations.

The Housing Executive has a key responsibility in responding to breakdowns in sponsorship arrangements and has responded to over 478 requests for assistance. This role involves contacting guests and hosts to understand the circumstances and to explore accommodation options, with a focus on homelessness prevention. Through this work, we have prevented homelessness for 250 households, with 199 successfully rematched to a new host under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and 51 placements sustained.  

Community sponsorship schemes like the Homes for Ukraine scheme have proven to be an effective means of supporting refugee households, with key benefits for guests around accommodation provision, practical and emotional support to help with resettlement and integration. Community sponsorship can both encourage a sense of belonging amongst refugee households and have a significant influence on community acceptance.

Whilst there are many benefits to community sponsorship, there are also challenges for both guests and hosts. The scheme is reliant on attracting and retaining suitable hosts with the right accommodation and the required support commitment, which can be demanding on hosts with financial and emotional wellbeing pressures. Sponsorship is a temporary arrangement, and many guests will seek independence. However, there remain significant challenges with pathways out of sponsorship and in sourcing and obtaining suitable move-on accommodation. 

The Homes for Ukraine scheme has shown the positive impact community sponsorship can have in providing temporary assistance to refugee households in Northern Ireland. Against the context of acute housing pressures and heightened anti-immigrant sentiment in parts of Northern Ireland, learning from the scheme could inform the implementation of a wider community sponsorship model for other nationalities of refugee and make a welcome contribution to overcoming these challenges.