In Liepāja, most Ukrainian refugees housed with the support of the municipality live in the city's Sports Games School Service Hotel. Currently, 254 war refugees have been housed in Liepaja with the support of the local government, said Agija Meniķe, head of the public participation and health promotion section of Liepāja.
“In Liepaja, we could instantaneously accommodate about 100 more, placing them both in apartments granted by the municipality, where we can accommodate about 25-30 persons, and here in the service hotel we can still accommodate about 70 to 100 persons,” Menķie noted.
In case of extreme necessity, additional beds, which the local government has already arranged, could be placed in auxiliary rooms in the service hotel. Another 50 to 100 people could fit in them, but quite a squeeze and not all amenities.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Ventspils City Council Jānis Vītoliņš (Latvia and Ventspils) saidthat the possibilities of the municipality have largely been exhausted: "At the same time, I would like to say that this is a financial issue: if the state increased co-financing, I think we could find [space], and private operators are also prepared to house [refugees], especially during the winter period.”
The municipality of Dienvidkurzeme currently hosts 52 Ukrainian war refugees, most of whom live in the service hotel of the former boarding school of Vaiņode. Almost one hundred more people would have a place there if necessary, said Andris Jefimovs (New Unity), deputy of the Dienvidkurzeme municipality Council: “Today we could easily accommodate 90 – we have beds equipped rooms and also kitchens to cook. We have also applied as a local authority for a national program for 150 beds, mattresses, pillows, and those are also likely to be delivered over the next few months.”
The Ministry of Interior estimates that about 12,000 Ukrainian war refugees will arrive in Latvia on a provisional basis in 2024, based on data on how many Ukrainian civilians entered the country last year. Support measures for Ukrainians will need about €70 million from the state budget this year.
