Providing homes for displaced people from Ukraine

North Ayrshire Council has been awarded funding through the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund to refurbish properties to be used on an interim basis by people who have fled the conflict in Ukraine.

Through the fund, up to £50 million has been made available to Councils and Registered Social Landlords to bring properties back into use that would otherwise not be available to let.

Minister with Special Responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine Neil Gray said:

“Scotland continues to stand with the rest of the UK, Europe and the world, in condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Since the conflict began, more than 20,000 people with a Scottish sponsor have arrived, representing 20% of all UK arrivals - the most per head of any of the four nations. More than three quarters of these arrivals have come through our Super Sponsor Scheme.

“This fund is going to help us meet the housing needs of displaced people from Ukraine by providing them with longer-term, sustainable accommodation. I want to thank North Ayrshire Council for their creativity in finding local solutions that boost the overall supply of homes at a time when they are needed most.

“This week, I have written to local authorities and social landlord representatives across the country to encourage them to look at their current housing supply and identify unused accommodation so that we can increase the supply of available accommodation and provide people from Ukraine with safe and secure homes for their time here.”

The award of £486,000 will allow five blocks of three-storey flats at Glebe Place, Saltcoats, – previously earmarked for demolition – to be upgraded and brought back into use for a period of 3 years after which they will be reassessed as part of the council’s new build housing programme.  This enables the council to retain their commitment of 1,625 new homes by 31 March 2027.

North Ayrshire Council Leader Marie Burns said:

“We have welcomed more than 200 Ukrainians to North Ayrshire and are ready to welcome more in the coming weeks and months.

“With funding now secured from the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund, we are looking to begin improvement works within the next few weeks.

“While there is understandable uncertainty for anyone arriving here from Ukraine, it’s important that they feel secure and supported – having that secure tenancy will help. We want them to feel like North Ayrshire is a home away from home.”

Background

Homes for displaced people from Ukraine

The grant offer from the Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund is for up to £486,081 to improve up to 30 flats at Glebe Place, Saltcoats.

The five blocks of six one-bedroom flats at Glebe Place, Saltcoats were identified as a Council housing regeneration project in the Estate Based Regeneration Plan January 2019. The 30 flats were scheduled for demolition following the successful rehousing of tenants to alternative accommodation, with plans for the vacated site to be redeveloped through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) in 2024-25.

The proposed demolition/ redevelopment project will reprofiled within the SHIP to 2026/27, therefore maintaining the overall commitment of 1,625 new homes by 31 March 2027.

The project works will be undertaken by North Ayrshire Council’s Building Services team, with the works due to commence on site in mid-late October and be completed by the end of January 2023.