A FORMER soldier who has housed Ukraine refugees since June has called on the Government to do more to help rehouse refugees.

Rodger Jones, 91, who has lived in Odiham for 52 years took in a Ukrainian family including a father, mother, and their 18 and 11-year-old sons.

Thousands of Ukraine refugees fled the country after their homes were bombed following Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Many of them found new homes with host families around the UK, including in Basingstoke but that has not been the end of the problems for many families.

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Rodger said: “It seems to me that a lot of people who have hoisted Ukraine families are just not getting support from the Government.

“The contract was to look after families for six months to give the Government more time to find them homes. 

“Answers to questions on the subject to ministers and Members of Parliament (if answered) are platitudinous, and not reassuring. Officials suggest that the guests should be placed on the Housing Register. As it is well known, there is a three-year or more waiting list for existing applicants in the Hart District area.”

When speaking to the Gazette John said that luckily his family are due to be rehomed in the next few weeks, but is saddened to see this is not the case for many families.

He added: “They have found a house in Chineham to move into in three weeks. We are happy they have found a new home, but this is not the case for many. I know a lot of people will not have the money to continue to host and it can affect their mental health.

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“As the new prime minister said we are a nation that does things. We used to be a can-do nation but now I think we are sadly a can't do nation. It seems there is always a long list of reasons why we can’t do things.”

Despite this a spokesperson from the Department of Levelling up has said most sponsors want to provide support for more than the six months.

They said: "We are working closely with councils ensure all those who have fled Putin’s war have a safe place to live.

"In the minority of cases where family or sponsor relationships break down, councils have a duty to ensure families are not left without a roof over their head.

"All arrivals have access to benefits from day one and we are giving councils an extra £10,500 per person cover any extra costs."

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s executive director of residents’ services Rebecca Emmett added: “Hampshire County Council is leading the response to the Ukrainian families coming to the area to escape the conflict, under the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. This includes responsibility for checking sponsorship arrangements and carrying out home visits.

“We are supporting Hampshire County Council and other partners to ensure that sponsors and their guests are supported with a range of issues. As part of this, we have appointed an officer to assist with housing issues and are funding a community caseworker at Basingstoke Voluntary Action to help hosts and guests to access the support and community services they need.

"We are involved if there are issues with placements , including helping to rematch guests if sponsorship arrangements become unsustainable and therefore we would like to hear from anyone who is interested in becoming a sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. They can express an interest by completing the survey on our website: Expression of interest to be a host for Ukrainian refugees (snapsurveys.com).”

Hampshire County Council have also had their say.

They added: “Hampshire is currently hosting over 1,000 families as part of the Government Homes for Ukraine Scheme. To date, fewer than 100 sponsor arrangements have come to an end, for a variety of reasons. This includes where families have decided to seek their own independent accommodation to further assist with their integration into Hampshire life.

“It is important to note that statutory responsibility for housing sits with Hampshire’s 11 district and borough councils, and not with Hampshire County Council. Hampshire’s district and borough councils continue to work with the County Council to find solutions to help guests who may need to secure alternative accommodation. This includes re-matching with new hosts, support for short term hosting schemes, as well as other accommodation options.”