In England, over £327 million allocated for housing Ukrainian refugees remains unspent. Meanwhile, thousands of families from Ukraine face a real threat of homelessness, and the risk of losses for the Ukrainian economy increases due to a decrease in the number of migrants planning to return home.
This is reported by Finway
Why financial assistance is not reaching Ukrainian refugees
According to information obtained from 150 local councils, as of August 2025, a third of the total budget allocated for housing programs for Ukrainians is still unused. This occurs against the backdrop of a growing number of Ukrainian families remaining without permanent housing. The majority of funds have already been spent on staff salaries and supporting partner organizations. At the same time, only £22 million has been directed towards temporary housing, and assistance for renting in the private sector amounted to just £15 million, even though this option is considered the most convenient for many Ukrainians.
However, obtaining such support is extremely difficult: a complicated bureaucratic process, the need for a high deposit, a lack of guarantors among acquaintances or relatives, language barriers, and insufficient awareness of assistance programs complicate the process.
“Ukrainian refugees are more than twice as likely as Britons to face the risk of homelessness. In 2025 alone, over 6,400 Ukrainian families could find themselves without permanent housing.”
Challenges and long-term consequences for Ukraine
Many displaced persons report that even with government programs, they are left to deal with their problems alone. In particular, Ukrainian Solomiya Baranets, who is currently interning as a lawyer, notes that she was forced to search for housing for her family on her own after numerous rejections from landlords, and the support from the city council was minimal. Other Ukrainians share similar experiences, believing that real assistance often depends not on government policy but on the specific local council and area of residence.
Ukrainian organizations in the UK emphasize the need for greater transparency in the distribution of funds and call for:
- the establishment of clear targeted spending indicators;
- simplifying access to financial assistance;
- involving local councils in collaboration with community initiatives.
The long-term consequences of migration are also felt in Ukraine — according to recent surveys, only 43% of Ukrainian migrants consider the possibility of returning home, while in 2022, this figure was nearly 75%. Economists warn that if the majority of citizens who left do not return, the Ukrainian economy could lose up to 7.8% of GDP annually. Therefore, a key task for the state becomes creating conditions for citizens to return — affordable housing, new jobs, educational programs, support for children, and stimulating business development.