This is reported by RBK-Ukraine, referencing a comment from the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Governance, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning, the leader of the "Servant of the People" party, Olena Shuliak. This information is also provided by Kontrakty.UA.
The legislative prerequisite for the reform should be the adoption of draft law No. 12377, which the parliament is obligated to pass through the session hall by the end of the current year.
She emphasized that the reform process has already commenced. At the end of 2024, Law 4080-IX was adopted, which mandates a nationwide inventory of real estate potentially available for residential use by citizens in need of improved living conditions.
"Currently, local leaders are entering the practical phase of its implementation. Housing identified as suitable for internally displaced persons (IDPs) can be rented at a preferential rate. Following such an inventory, an interactive map will be created to form an information database of real estate objects suitable for living. It is essential to assess what can be completed, utilized, or designated as social or municipal housing. This is crucial due to the enormous challenges posed by six million internally displaced persons who require assistance in resolving their housing issues," explained Shuliak.
According to her, the second component of the reform is the direct establishment of a legislative framework that abolishes the existing housing code, which was developed during Soviet times and is therefore incredibly outdated. Consequently, it fails to address the issues faced by citizens who need improved housing conditions and have been waiting for decades in housing queues.
Initial steps have already been taken – a framework draft law No. 12377 "On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy" has been prepared and registered, outlining the direction of the upcoming reform and its key aspects.
"The essence of the reform is to create and provide citizens with simple and effective mechanisms they can use to resolve housing issues. For instance, a social housing fund will be established, allowing for social rental, along with real and some financial-credit mechanisms that can be utilized to purchase private housing or official residences," noted the committee head on urban planning.
She also emphasized that the adoption of this draft law by the Verkhovna Rada is mandatory, as it is a condition for Ukraine to fulfill the requirements of the Ukraine Facility program, under which the state receives financial assistance from the EU for recovery needs. This involves a sum of 50 billion euros, and for Ukraine to receive these funds, it must meet over 150 indicators. One of these, as Shuliak explained, is the reform of the housing sector and the establishment of a new housing policy.
At the same time, she pointed out that European partners are already cooperating with Ukraine, not waiting for the adoption of legislation on housing policy. Some are already assisting communities in developing housing projects in the regions.
For instance, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is involved in the construction of social housing. This involves a grant and loan totaling 400 million euros, with plans to build over six thousand apartments. Social housing will be provided to employed Ukrainians with a salary not lower than the average. Additionally, local authorities will be able to allocate 20-30% of apartments for rent to specialists needed in the region, based on their own criteria.
The third crucial component of addressing the housing problems of Ukrainians that is already in effect is the "eRecovery" program. Recently, a law was enacted granting priority rights to internally displaced persons to receive compensation for destroyed housing and, accordingly, to obtain funds for purchasing new homes. In the coming days, more than 60 families will close deals to buy housing in this manner. The first 100 million hryvnias have already been allocated for this purpose.
"Thus, we see several parallel processes taking place – inventory, new housing legislation, 'eRecovery,' and the construction of social housing funded by partners. This only indicates that Ukraine is very serious about finally addressing the long-postponed housing issue. Therefore, I hope that we will ultimately advance this process," concluded Shuliak.