October 12, 2023
Support for Ukraine community update for hosts in South Cambridgeshire, as well as District Councillors, community coordinators and parish council colleagues. We would like to reassure hosts that while our communications on any updates to the Homes for Ukraine scheme may now be more intermittent, we are committed to continuing our support for you in this crucial role while the war in Ukraine continues.
We would like to draw your attention to a new scheme designed to make more options available to guests who are ‘moving on’ after their initial stay with a host.
Homes for Ukraine Landlord Incentive Scheme
South Cambridgeshire District Council has recently launched a Homes for Ukraine Landlord Incentive Scheme.
Landlords who are able to provide properties in South Cambridgeshire to Homes for Ukraine guests who are resident in the district will qualify for a financial incentive. These incentives differ depending on the size of the property, and whether the property is provided at market rent or at local housing allowance (LHA) rate. The landlord must also provide a minimum tenancy of 6 months from the outset. Please see the below table that details initial payments:
| Number of bedrooms | Market rent incentive | LHA rate incentive |
| 1 Bedroom | £1,140 | £2,280 |
| 2 Bedroom | £1,300 | £2,600 |
| 3 Bedroom | £1,350 | £2,750 |
| 4 Bedroom | £1,410 | £2,820 |
The above payments are for tenancies which are 6 months in length. If a landlord wanted to offer 12 months initially, then the amount paid is double that of a 6-month tenancy. Once the initial 6 months has expired, landlords will qualify for another payment if they wish to offer a further tenancy. If at this point landlords offer a further 12-month tenancy, they will qualify for a payment worth 150% of the value of their initial payment. It is important to note we will only provide incentive payments for up to 18 months’ worth of tenancies per Homes for Ukraine family.
South Cambridgeshire District Council will help source a Homes for Ukraine tenant if one is not lined up, and also provide assistance with setting up the tenancy agreement if this support is required.
If you would be interested in signing up for this scheme, please complete the online form by following this link.
Alternatively, you can contact the team at HFULiaison@Scambs.gov.uk or call them on 01954 713411.
The council is delivering workshops for hosts and guests which give information and answer questions about moving on to independent accommodation. The general focus of the workshops is on Social Housing/Homelink, the Private Rented Sector and any financial assistance which is available.
The next Moving On sessions are:
12 October, in-person at Cottenham Village Hall, 7pm.
17 October, online via Zoom, 6pm (link to be sent the day before). Your guests can sign-up for the session using this form: https://forms.office.com/e/Xv6LABziNj
A reminder of the support your guests can access when they are Moving On is available on our website and covers the following:
Social Housing – Social housing is rented to a tenant at a lower monthly rent than it would be if it was privately owned. Properties are available via Home-Link which advertises the available council and housing association properties across the area. To be considered for one of these properties, you first need to make an online application to Home-Link to have your housing need and priority assessed at Home-Link.
Private rental: Renting privately in South Cambridgeshire is expensive, and the rental market is very competitive. Our website details the financial support available to help Ukrainian refugees considering private rental accommodation – such as the council’s Rent Deposit scheme, Rent in Advance scheme and Discretionary Housing Payments.
Furniture Pack Scheme: Financial aid may be available to help with the cost of buying essential white goods and furniture needed to rent accommodation, following an assessment to determine eligibility.
Please see Moving on – South Cambs District Council (scambs.gov.uk) for more information on all of these options.
Rematching service: In some circumstances, we may be able to help facilitate a rematch with another host within South Cambridgeshire. But please note, this is a last resort option as the number of Hosts available for this is very limited,
Useful Information for your guests
We thought we would also take this opportunity to make you remind you of some of the useful information which is available on the Council website for your guests. It can be found in the Guest Information Hub covering Financial advice and support, Local travel support, Access to health and wellbeing services, Access to education and childcare, Hobbies and leisure activities and Moving On.
We continue to be extremely grateful for your support of Ukrainian guests and thank you for taking the time to read this latest update.
Best wishes,
Bill Handley
Lead Cabinet Member for Communities
South Cambridgeshire District Council