Nottingham City Council will continue to take part in the government’s Homes for Ukraine and wider refugee resettlement schemes through to 2029, securing grant funding to support hundreds of displaced families over the next four years.
The council’s latest delegated decision formally approves participation in two national programmes – the Refugee Resettlement Schemes, running from September 2025 to March 2029, and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, running from April 2025 to March 2028, with an additional 18-month extension under the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme taking it to October 2029.
Funding will be received in quarterly arrears directly from the government under Section 31(5) of the Local Government Act 2003. The value of the grants is exempt from publication but will fully cover staffing and programme delivery costs, meaning no call will be made on the council’s core budgets.
Council officers said that without accepting the grant, Nottingham would have to fund the schemes itself – a step ruled out due to current budget pressures.
The schemes are part of ongoing national resettlement programmes that began several years ago to support people fleeing conflict zones including Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Nottingham has played a consistent role in these initiatives, offering both housing and community integration support.
Legal advice accompanying the decision stresses that the council must comply fully with government funding conditions to avoid any risk of repayment, and that all service commissioning and contract awards must follow the new Procurement Act 2023 and the council’s Contract Procedure Rules.
Procurement officers confirmed they will oversee all external spending to ensure transparency and value for money, while existing corporate contracts will be used wherever possible.
Financial advice confirmed the schemes will remain cost-neutral to the council, with any underspend ringfenced specifically for refugee and resettlement purposes.
