Ukrainians who fled to Stirling following the Russian invasion may still be living in hotels beyond the end of March councillors have been told.
Stirling Council’s community wellbeing and housing committee heard recently that the authority’s officials were continuing to put pressure on civil servants for confirmation on whether funding arrangements would continue for the accommodation beyond the current expected cut off date.
But the officers added they considered it likely it would - because of the challenge of providing alternatives.
As of January 12, more than 22,000 people with a Scottish sponsor had arrived in the UK from Ukraine, with an estimated 6,366 people in temporary hotel accommodation across Scotland.
In Stirling area, there are currently 149 Ukrainian guests staying with sponsoring households including 39 children.
A further 61 guests are living independently, having secured their own accommodation in Stirling.
As of January 16, there are 146 guests, including 41 children, staying across three hotels - Stirling Highland, Dunblane Hydro and the Killin Hotel - as well as a serviced apartment.
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They are supported by Stirling Council’s resettlement team.
Service manager, regeneration and inclusive growth, Lesley Gallagher, said: “The Scottish Government has not yet announced intentions for welcome accommodation when contracts end at the end of March 2023, though we expect to see a need for temporary accommodation to continue until at least the end of 2023.”
However, she added that officers were “hugely thankful” that a large number of sponsors currently hosting Ukrainians in their own homes were happy to continue doing so for now, albeit some could not because of individual circumstances.
Twelve months on from the start of the war, a number of families have been rehomed, mainly in the private rented sector.
Other key services provided by the council and other organisations have included English language lessons to help support their desire to work and employment and financial advice.
“They have been through a traumatic time and a degree of uncertainty,” said Ms Gallagher. “Sponsors have pulled out every stop to support their guests and gone above and beyond and continue to do so.” She also praised communities for organising meals, cultural exchanges, dances and other activities and said a number of pet cats and dogs brought by the Ukrainian families had also been accommodated in some of the hotels.
Committee chair Councillor Gerry McGarvey asked if officers expected any “stresses and strains” going forward and was told that realistically many of the Ukrainians would be here “for the long haul”.
Asked by Councillor Rachel Nunn if there was a contingency plan should hotel use not be extended, Ms Gallagher said: “I don’t know we would have a contingency for those numbers, which is why we are saying we expect the Scottish Government to extend the hotel bookings. It’s incredibly challenging but we are working on it.”
The committee was told that some options would have to be longer term projects and that in terms of getting answers from the Scottish Government on the future council officers were “putting civil servants under a degree of pressure”.
