Humza Yousaf planning 'huge' cut to scheme for desperate Ukrainians fleeing Putin

dailyrecord.co.uk:

SNP Ministers have been accused of planning a “huge” cut to a scheme for helping fleeing Ukrainians set up home in Scotland.Council bosses say the Government intends to slash the budget for turning empty houses into refugee accommodation.Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said of the “brutal” cut:"The Scottish Government made big promises in the media on the Ukraine scheme, but they have failed to deliver on the ground. "Without this key funding, councils will struggle to build enough housing for those driven to our shores by Putin's war."Any pledge to support refugees must be backed up by provision for Scottish local authorities." The Scottish Government has funded a range of initiatives to welcome Ukrainians leaving their country after Russia’s invasion.One of them was the £50m Ukraine Long Term Resettlement Fund (ULTRF) which seeks to increase the number of properties available.The scheme involves sprucing up empty homes and rehousing Ukrainians for up to three years.Council documents reveal around £23m has been allocated since 2022/23, bringing 1168 properties into use for Ukrainian arrivals.But the paper seen by the Record says the ULTRF fund will be reduced to £5m next year as part of cuts to the affordable housing budget.It notes: “If confirmed, this represents a huge cut and will limit the number of move on properties available to meet the increased housing demand arising from the Ukraine schemes.”Ministers were previously accused of short-changing councils on the staff costs for providing short-term welcome accommodation (WA).Local authorities were given £10m last year but were told days before Christmas there would be no repeat.The paper states: “It is wholly unacceptable for Scottish