The Lemon Fool

Seeing all the destabilisation in Ukraine would you take a Ukrainian family temporarily into your home ?

This is a huge decision.

Mods, please delete this post if not appropriate.

I've cast as no, which surrounds uncharitable I know.

But I would pay £500/month towards their rent instead.

AiY(D)

Would accept one person but couldn't cope with a whole family.

RC

I voted no too, as my hovel is too small for more than one person or a couple.

I might be up for letting a family have one of my rentals though, should one become vacant.

as above
in theory yes as I feel SO sorry for them (have made a donation to the Red Cross Ukranian appeal)
but my house is too small

For the rest of their lives?

CliffEdge wrote:For the rest of their lives?

I specifically used the word "temporarily" .......let us hope that this catastrophe comes to an end soon.

Watching those little children clutching their gifted toys is heartbreaking.

scotview wrote:

CliffEdge wrote:For the rest of their lives?

I specifically used the word "temporarily" .......let us hope that this catastrophe come to an end soon.

Watching those little children clutching their gifted toys is heartbreaking.

Yes it is but these people will need a home forever. This is a European tragedy such as I have never seen in my 70 born years.

CliffEdge wrote:

scotview wrote:

CliffEdge wrote:For the rest of their lives?

I specifically used the word "temporarily" .......let us hope that this catastrophe come to an end soon.

Watching those little children clutching their gifted toys is heartbreaking.

Yes it is but these people will need a home forever. This is a European tragedy such as I have never seen in my 70 born years.

Cliff this is a huge tragedy on our doorstep. We need to stand together now. If we don't our children will inherit our choice of standard of living over freedom.

AiY(D)

CliffEdge wrote:

scotview wrote:

CliffEdge wrote:For the rest of their lives?

I specifically used the word "temporarily" .......let us hope that this catastrophe come to an end soon.

Watching those little children clutching their gifted toys is heartbreaking.

Yes it is but these people will need a home forever. This is a European tragedy such as I have never seen in my 70 born years.

Indeed - but they need to exist long enough to get to the rest of their life.



AIUI men of fighting age have not been allowed to leave Ukraine
- which makes me think that when the dust settles, if the right side win, and depending on what remains of the country: I would expect most who have left to want to return

- sd

servodude wrote:

CliffEdge wrote:

scotview wrote:

CliffEdge wrote:For the rest of their lives?

I specifically used the word "temporarily" .......let us hope that this catastrophe come to an end soon.

Watching those little children clutching their gifted toys is heartbreaking.

Yes it is but these people will need a home forever. This is a European tragedy such as I have never seen in my 70 born years.

Indeed - but they need to exist long enough to get to the rest of their life.

This war doesn't feel, to me, like one tribe trying to permanently displace another in the way we have seen in Yuogoslavia or Palestine; despite how Putin is trying to spin it to his home audience

AIUI men of fighting age have not been allowed to leave Ukraine
- which makes me think that when the dust settles, if the right side win, and depending on what remains of the country: I would expect most who have left to want to return

- sd

Well I don't about that know one way or the other. But I do know the usual British muddle through won't be good enough. A proper plan and lots of money will be needed to give a million or so poor souls somewhere safe and comfortable to live in the UK, probably for many years.

Clariman wrote:

Moderator Message:
I have just deleted half a dozen posts that were more about politics. This board is about CHARITABLE GIVING TO OTHERS. It is not here to provide yet another platform for users who wish to rerun the usual arguments. The poll was asking whether YOU would be kind enough to house a Ukranian family which is in dire need. Please leave the political aspects at the door when you enter this group. Politics is allowed on CAN and nowhere else. Thank you. A reminder of the purpose of this board is clearly needed.

The purpose of this board is to allow members to discuss 'Charitable Giving', which may include financial gifts, donations of items, or giving one's time for the benefit of others. Please refrain from discussing politics on this board. Furthermore, if the primary objective of your charitable giving is to reduce your tax bill, then there may be more appropriate places to discuss that. The focus of this board should be on the needs of others.

Thankyou. Clariman

Apologies boss.

The part of my post I see was removed was offered as explanation (along with the substance stanza) as to why I think and hope that the displacement this conflict has caused might be more transient than that of previous wars which superficially might appear similar.

I do think that the belief and faith that this might be a short lived immediate problem can help us overcome some of the reluctance to "throw our hat in the ring", whatever that might entail, and get these people the help they need

-sd

Clariman wrote:

Moderator Message:
I have just deleted half a dozen posts that were more about politics. This board is about CHARITABLE GIVING TO OTHERS. It is not here to provide yet another platform for users who wish to rerun the usual arguments. The poll was asking whether YOU would be kind enough to house a Ukranian family which is in dire need. Please leave the political aspects at the door when you enter this group. Politics is allowed on CAN and nowhere else. Thank you. A reminder of the purpose of this board is clearly needed.

The purpose of this board is to allow members to discuss 'Charitable Giving', which may include financial gifts, donations of items, or giving one's time for the benefit of others. Please refrain from discussing politics on this board. Furthermore, if the primary objective of your charitable giving is to reduce your tax bill, then there may be more appropriate places to discuss that. The focus of this board should be on the needs of others.

Thankyou. Clariman

Apologies if I transgressed. My main point is that if you charitably give a home to a Ukrainian family. Are you prepared at some point to evict them a few months or years down the line? Because once they are housed, by you, then they are no longer homeless and will not be prioritized.
A proper plan is needed, a task force, maybe to identify empty properties, buy caravans, set up temporary camps. I don't know. I really am not an expert. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Perhaps every parish should set up a task force to examine what it can do to help. The current housing system is already collapsing under the weight of the current needy people.
I'm not an expert so this will be my last comment on this thread.

Things seem to have moved on somewhat, with £350/month on offer from Monday.

It isn't clear if this is per family, per refugee, or per room, whether you'd need Lanlord gas and electric certs like for rentals or rent a room, and several other unanswered questions.

I suspect given the situation and current price rises, there will be an awful lot of offers of rooms.

Paul

DrFfybes wrote:Things seem to have moved on somewhat, with £350/month on offer from Monday.

It isn't clear if this is per family, per refugee, or per room, whether you'd need Landlord gas and electric certs like for rentals or rent a room, and several other unanswered questions.

I suspect given the situation and current price rises, there will be an awful lot of offers of rooms.

It is refreshing to see the government being creative about this. However a room is easily worth £350 per month anyway, and it would not matter much to a landlord whether the government is paying the rent, via housing benefit if necessary, or the tenant paying it.

And regular rent of that type would be tax-free under the rent-a-room scheme. Would this £350 per month be tax free?

Lots of questions, as you say. I will pass - I would rather donate some money as my contribution.

Most definitely, yes.

However, I await the return of my wife from Poland where she's sorting out her mum whose dementia has suddenly worsened. Our house is big and with our sons absent, we easily have room for approx one woman and two kids, or three small kids, with use of their own bathroom. We're currently living in Italy where they're a bit obsessed with having loads of bathrooms!

My wife has so far said yes, but with me still working, her planning to travel again in April and me wanting to visit my mum in the UK as well, I wait for her final decision. Italian authorities are saying that they're seeking families to help for approx 3 months, but as yet I haven't heard of any payment offered, though I wouldn't expect it.

Funnily enough, the only thing I would personally be strict about is no smoking! Fags are cheap over there and there are still a lot of smokers.

Steve

PS Wonder how many stories will come out in years to come about the process being used to launder money/cheat on benefits.

PPS Daily Mail: 'Old Etonian wearing blond wig handcuffed while shouting "I'm a Ukrainian refugee woman and so are Cecil, Edward, Dominic and Bertram!"'

Discussing the practicality of doing this with Mrs 557. The £350 wouldn't go far but would help. I imagine a family or mother and child+ with practically nothing. You don't have to provide food but how could we eat without them.

I would feel the need to provide food, shelter and clothing plus every day things like toiletries, toys etc.

In the longer term mobile phone, school uniform so the money offered is not really that much. They may be able to work so might eventually have some income but would I be the baby sitter?

There is also the language issues but there might be support groups etc that might help and friends and neighbours might add additional support even if they can't provide rooms. Day trips etc spare clothes and the like.

I'm considering it even though my original post fell fowl of the politics police, sorry!

You never know, I might find a lifelong friend.

Gerry557 wrote:Discussing the practicality of doing this with Mrs 557. The £350 wouldn't go far but would help. I imagine a family or mother and child+ with practically nothing. You don't have to provide food but how could we eat without them.

They do get money, and refugees are entitled to benefits.

Depending upon the Council, some Authorities have an emergency scheme where they can get some amount of cash for immediate needs , and charities also step in. In the current situation I expect funding to be pretty high for this sort of thing.

So the answer is that in the short term they will require some support, but I suspect longer term you could get rent paid from Housing Benefit AND the £350/month 'gift' which will be exempt from tax etc, but I expect will only be for a fixed period of time (probably the 6 month minimum period mentioned when you apply to offer them a home). After that the initial rush should have settled down and the normal system will be left to take the strain, with the hope that in 6 months things will have settled enough for many to want to return home.

If the £350 and Housing Benefit continues private renters would find themselves priced out of the market.

Paul

Gerry557 wrote:Discussing the practicality of doing this with Mrs 557. The £350 wouldn't go far but would help. I imagine a family or mother and child+ with practically nothing. You don't have to provide food but how could we eat without them.

I would feel the need to provide food, shelter and clothing plus every day things like toiletries, toys etc.

In the longer term mobile phone, school uniform so the money offered is not really that much. They may be able to work so might eventually have some income but would I be the baby sitter?

You never know, I might find a lifelong friend.

All good questions. I rather think that stuff like 'school uniforms' will not be a problem since their education will probably be via internet for the first few months. Besides, I have a strong hatred of school uniforms!!! There are loads of British and Polish people in the UK who will help out. Polish is close enough to Ukrainian for them to set out study plans and help with English. Teaching via Zoom and Teams is becoming more accepted, and I actually prefer it, since the teacher can see all the students and, from my own experience, is more likely to include each student, rather than ignore those who used to hide at the back of the class.

Steve