Current status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 August 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide any additional funding through the Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund.
Given the significant numbers of arrivals and visas issued we need to continue to find creative ways to boost the supply of longer term housing. On 22 September 2022, the Scottish Government launched the Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund (ULTRF) to bring Local Authority (LA) and Registered Social Landlord (RSL) empty properties back into use that would otherwise not have been available for let.
Through this high value for money initiative, the Fund has approved twenty one capital projects across Scotland, bringing nearly 1300 homes back into use. As of 18 July 2024, 11 projects have fully completed, providing nearly 1200 homes, of which over 1000 are tenanted, providing settled accommodation for nearly 2200 Ukrainian people. The programme has offered commitments to fund improvement works of over £27.146 million in total across 2022-23 and 2023-24.
The ULTRF budget has now been confirmed as £5 million for 2024-45 and we continue to work closely with potential applicants to maximise delivery from the funding available.
The continuation of the Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund and its legacy is an opportunity to prevent unnecessary homelessness with some homes to be retained in the longer-term to address wider pressures by increasing social rented housing supply.