The Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine hosted a meeting with representatives of local governments and relevant associations to discuss the conceptual framework for the development of municipal social housing in Ukraine.

The event was organised jointly with the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. Members of the Ukrainian Parliament, representatives of central and local authorities, the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, as well as international partners, including the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, also participated in the meeting.

 

 

The Ministry for Development was represented at the meeting by Deputy Minister Nataliia Kozlovska.

The key topic of discussion was the establishment of a systematic approach to the development of municipal social housing and the creation of legislative and financial mechanisms for implementing such projects in the regions.

 

 

‘After the first stage of housing reform – the adoption of the Law “On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy” – we are moving on to the next stage: developing a National Housing Strategy and launching practical tools for its implementation. One of the key priorities will be the creation of an effective social housing model. In compliance with the Ukraine Facility, a new Law “On Social Housing” is also to be drafted and adopted this year,’ emphasised Nataliia Kozlovska.

During the meeting, the participants discussed the issue of identifying the needs of communities for social housing, the necessity of additional regulation of land, tax, and budgetary relations, the improvement of procedures for managing the municipal housing stock, and ensuring a balance between affordable rent for residents, and the financial sustainability of social housing operators.

‘The aim of housing policy is not only to create conditions for people to acquire home ownership, but also to ensure decent living conditions for those citizens who do not have such an opportunity. Social housing should become an effective instrument of state support, with clearly defined criteria, management mechanisms, and financing,’ noted Halyna Tretiakova, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and the Protection of Veterans’ Rights.

The participants paid special attention to issues of managing apartment buildings, the provision of housing and utility services, as well as opportunities to attract extra-budgetary funding for the construction of social housing.

 

 

Representatives of communities presented their own experiences and best practices in housing policy. In particular:

• Lviv presented approaches to implementing projects for comprehensive land development and the construction of social housing;
• Zhytomyr: experience in implementing social housing projects with the support of international financial organisations;
• Perechyn: its practice of building housing for internally displaced persons and residents who work at relocated enterprises (industrial parks) in the community;
• Mariupol community: approaches to providing housing for residents of the relocated community;
• Kharkiv: a vision for the development of municipal social housing in communities close to hostilities.

 

 

The participants had a separate discussion on the conceptual foundations for establishing a system of social rental housing in Ukraine. The discussion focused, in particular, on safeguarding the constitutional right of citizens in need of social protection to affordable housing, creating the legal framework for the development of the municipal housing stock, and ensuring the housing rights of veterans.

 

 

The meeting also featured a presentation on European experience in developing and reforming social housing systems, which could be adapted to the needs of Ukrainian communities. The development of a municipal social housing system is one of the key priorities of the new housing policy and an important component of the long-term recovery of Ukraine.

‘We need to work together to develop solutions that will enable communities to actually build and manage social housing, establish a municipal housing stock, and participate in co-financing with the state and international partners. In parallel, we have already launched a pilot project for the construction of social housing in cooperation with communities, together with the European Investment Bank. Our task is to make this model self-sustaining and scalable,’ noted Nataliia Kozlovska.

The meeting was part of a series of events aimed to shape the future Law of Ukraine “On Social Housing”, with the involvement of government bodies, communities, international partners, and civil society.

 

 

Prior to this, the EU Delegation to Ukraine hosted an expert discussion attended by representatives of the European Investment Bank and other international organisations, members of the Ukrainian Parliament, central executive authorities and communities, devoted to European and other models of social rental housing. The participants then discussed the key elements of the future social housing system: categories of beneficiaries, affordability of rent, subsidy mechanisms, and so on.