Another battle for survival

We are extremely proud to launch our research into the housing experiences of Ukrainians in Wales. Over the past year, we spoke with more than 200 Ukrainians, as well as experts and local authorities. Our goal was to understand the housing challenges Ukrainians have faced since arriving in Wales after the full-scale Russian invasion.

You can read the full report on our website: Another Battle for Survival. Top barriers Ukrainian refugees face in accessing accommodation in Wales.

We wanted to do this research because there hasn’t been much written about the Ukrainian housing experience in Wales. Also, Ukrainians have very particular circumstance within sanctuary-seeking communities.  

“I would like to thank the people of Wales for all the support provided during this hard time for us. Sponsor families for hosting and a friendship, well-being [social] workers for helping out, mindful advice and a good word, local councils for social housing for refugees who don’t have any other option.” Experience of a Ukrainian refugee  

Ukrainians told us about their hosting experience, the arrival to the Welcome Centres and the move on from them, the challenges to access permanent long-term accommodation, and much more. These are collected in 20 pages of findings, with quotes, case studies, and beautifully created graphics that tell the whole story. 

The research’s key findings are: 

  • The experiences of hosting have largely been positive and have played a key role in the Welsh response.  
  • The scale of arrivals was higher than anticipated, which created problems for local authorities, the Welcome Centres, and the move on process.  
  • Move on from the Welcome Centres has been incredibly hard due to a combination of factors. On the one hand, affordability and other barriers to access housing have limited options. On the other, Ukrainians’ hesitance, mistrust of authorities, cultural factors, and issues around location have been issues local authorities have had to navigate.  
  • The private rented sector has been hard to access for Ukrainians because of its cost, other barriers (guarantors, rent in advance, etc.), and discrimination. 

What will the future hold?

We are concerned about the visa situation for Ukrainians. Without a clear indication of what will happen following the end of the 18-month visa extension, many Ukrainians will be unaware of what the future holds for them. This was clear in the research, where this uncertainty has already impacted their housing situation. 

Clarity over the visa situation is one of sixteen recommendations to UK Government, Welsh Government, and Welsh local authorities at the end of the research. We are sending briefings to these different groups and look forward to work alongside them to achieve the recommendations.  

Join our webinar

We will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday 7 May at 13:00, where we will go into more detail about the research and there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Please book your place here.   

“It is so hard to start a new life in a foreign country. Although we feel grateful to the Welsh Government for giving us shelter in Wales, I truly believe that Ukrainian refugees need a bit more time and resources to settle in and integrate successfully, and for sure, Ukrainian people still need support with their visas, accommodation, public transport, education, health and employment in Wales.” Experience of a Ukrainian refugee 

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this research possible!