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Moving On

Hosting is not meant to be forever!

​​We know a lot of our hosts have had guests since the start of the war. If you’ve reached the end of your hosting journey, thank you. You may be feeling guilty or uneasy about this but please don’t. What you have done is amazing. Hosting was never intended to be long-term; it was to give your guests a soft landing to help them find feet for their next steps. You have done that and more.​

 

Below we have detailed some tips on how to help your guest to move on to the next stage of their journey.

The next stage of the journey

Set aside time to chat honestly - Hopefully you've been chatting openly since your guests first arrived but we know this topic can be daunting. Sit down together to hear each other's concerns and try to understand where you are each coming from. Remember that hosting in your home was never a long-term solution and we are all just helping each other to the next stage.

 

Look at the options together – can your guest ask other Ukrainian contacts for advice? Would they like to look for another host themselves on social media? Can they explore renting a home of their own? If yes, have they connected with local estate agents, groups and online rental websites? Don't be afraid to be realistic and remind guests of the housing crisis in Ireland to manage their expectations.

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Onward Accommodation 

Personal Networks 

​If your guest wishes to remain in the same geographical area, then the best approach is to use local networks. Tell people about the challenges and rewards of hosting. Spread the word via community groups, schools, religious organisations or online groups that you are part of. Sharing your experience may be the nudge that someone needs to decide to host.

 

We can offer support to anyone who offers to host, either by helping to make the match or by providing resources and guidance for their hosting journey.

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Local Authorities 

It’s also worth contacting your local authority directly regarding onward hosting. We've had some good experiences of hosts contacting local authorities directly and being allocated follow-on properties that way. You can reach out to your county’s Ukraine Community Forum team by emailing communityforum@[insertcounty]coco.ie, e.g. communityforum@wicklowcoco.ie.

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State Accommodation 

For some guests the best option may be to access state-provided accommodation via the Government’s Ukraine Crisis Temporary Accommodation Team UCTAT. Unfortunately, due to high demand, there is no guarantee about the standard or location of the accommodation that will be offered. Citywest is open for accommodation requests Monday - Friday between 9am and 6pm. Contact IPAS Helpdesk for support at  UkraineTempAccom@equality.gov.ie / ipasinbox@equality.gov.ie or call 01-2376100.

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Rematching

If you were matched by one of our implementing partners i.e. the Red Cross, Peter McVerry Trust or IOM, then please contact them in the first instance and they will try to find new accommodation for your guests. 

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If you were matched by Helping Irish Hosts, or if you found your guests via other means, then we'll do our very best to find a new host for your guests. 

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As much as we would like to, we cannot meet specific location requests, but if your guest is open to relocating then we’ll try to find them a welcoming new home. Follow the steps below to start the rematch process:

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  • Once you’ve discussed moving on with your guests you can complete our Moving On Form together. 

  • Our Host Support team will contact both the host and guest to talk through the process.

  • Six weeks before the moving date our Matchmaking team will look at all available pledged accommodation to find the best fit.

  • We aim to make an offer of accommodation within two weeks. 

  • Due to our limited resources, we can only make you one offer of accommodation. If we haven’t found something suitable then we’ll refer you back to the other ways to find onward accommodation above. 

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We know this may not be an easy time but we are here to support both you and your guest through the next stage of your journey. You can reach out to our Host Support Team if you have any questions about the moving on process. 

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