UP to 30 homes will be brought in Shropshire to house refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan.

When they are no longer needed for this purpose, they will be offered to others in housing need in the county.

Shropshire Council continues to progress with its plans to buy more homes for those most in need.

This decision, which was backed by councillors at Full Council, will mean that up to 30 new homes can now be bought to initially house homeless Afghan refugees and Ukranian guests, who have been displaced by conflict. When no longer needed for this use, these homes will then be allocated to applicants from the housing register or used as temporary accommodation.

The money to buy these homes will be made up of three parts and includes money from the Government’s Local Authority Housing Fund. This fund was made available in December 2022 to targeted councils to buy housing stock, build new homes, convert existing non-residential properties, and refurbish dilapidated housing or empty homes into accommodation for families.

It has been allocated to Shropshire Council to buy homes specifically for Ukrainian and Afghan households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Not all councils have been allocated this funding, as it is based on a formula relating to housing need.

The funding, along with Section 106 monies from housing developers and match funding totalling £7.2 million, will enable the council to buy 26 homes for Ukrainian guests, and four homes for Afghan refugees, who are part of the Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme.