Five Ukrainian refugee households who fled to York after Russia invaded their country are homeless or at risk of homelessness, new figures show.

The Home Office figures show that the UK has taken in more than 160,000 Ukrainians in the last year – but that many now face homelessness as arrangements break down.

The figures show that in York five households had received ‘homeless duties’ - provided by the local council when a person or family is judged to be at risk of homelessness - as of January 27 this year. Four were families with dependent children.

Nationally, a number of Ukrainian refugees have become officially homeless after the arrangement with their host families under the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme broke down.

But Rebecca Russell of York City of Sanctuary stressed that the vast majority of the 350 Ukrainians who had come to York were doing ‘really well’.

In the small number of cases where there were difficulties, York City of Sanctuary did all it could to find alternative sponsor hosts, she added – and as a last resort the council had an obligation to house anyone who became ‘homeless’.

But she said that, with more refugees arriving, and some York hosting agreements coming to an end, there was a need for more sponsors.

The Government recently raised the monthly allowance to £500 for anyone hosting a refugee who has been on the Homes for Ukraine scheme for a year.

You can register as a sponsor at york.cityofsanctuary.org/