The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Regulation on the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine (Minrehion).

The document defines the Minrehion as the main body in the system of central executive authorities responsible for formulating and implementing state policy in areas such as regional development, local self-government, housing, spatial planning, construction, energy efficiency, support for internally displaced persons, territories where hostilities are currently taking place or have taken place, and temporarily occupied territories.

‘The document that defines the mandate of the new Ministry and sets out the key areas of our work has been adopted. But for me, this decision has a broader meaning. We cannot speak separately about the development of communities, housing, support for internally displaced persons, frontline territories, restoration, and the future reintegration of de-occupied communities. All of these are parts of a single state policy, centred on the individual and a resilient community,’ commented Vitalii Bezgin, Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine.

Regional policy and strong local self-government

Minrehion will be responsible for state regional policy: strategic planning for the development of regions and communities, ensuring consistency between strategic, spatial, and investment planning documents, reducing imbalances between territories, and supporting regional development agencies.

The tasks of the Ministry include developing and submitting the State Strategy for Regional Development to the Government for consideration; developing, jointly with other government bodies, a plan for the restoration and development of regions; assessing medium-term plans for priority public investment by communities and regions; and submitting proposals on the allocation of funds from the State Fund of Regional Development.

Another area of focus is the development of local self-government, the territorial organisation of power and the administrative-territorial structure, in particular the formation of capable communities. The Ministry will prepare regulatory decisions in this area, coordinate inter-municipal and international territorial cooperation, register relevant agreements, and provide methodological support to communities.

Housing, spatial development, and accessibility

Minrehion will be responsible for state housing policy, construction, urban development, spatial planning, architecture, regulatory standards, and pricing in the construction sector, as well as architectural and construction control and supervision.

The Ministry will develop and submit the State Housing Policy Strategy to the Government for consideration, and will ensure the implementation of financial and credit mechanisms to support the construction, purchase and rental of housing, as well as social and service accommodation. It will also be responsible for national building regulations, the urban development cadastre, monitoring urban development documentation, and the creation of barrier-free environment.

The powers of the Ministry also include matters of energy efficiency in buildings, thermal modernisation, energy management, and local energy plans.

Policy for internally displaced persons, combat zones, and temporarily occupied territories

Minrehion will formulate policy on the realisation of the right of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to housing and will facilitate their adaptation to their new place of residence. The Ministry will coordinate the establishment of housing funds for temporary accommodation, the creation of temporary accommodation facilities, the maintenance of a centralised database of such facilities, and the provision of housing subsidies to local budgets.

Its tasks will also include providing support during evacuation, gathering and analysing the needs of IDPs, and providing information on employment opportunities, education and access to services. Social protection and social support for IDPs, however, remain the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Policy.

The specific areas of focus for Minrehion include supporting territories where hostilities are taking place or have taken place, protecting the rights of people in temporarily occupied territories, preparing for their reintegration, developing de-occupied and adjacent territories, and creating conditions for the voluntary return of Ukrainians from abroad or their integration in communities in Ukraine.

The Regulation also assigns to Minrehion the task of coordinating the preparation of public authorities and local governments to work with the EU Structural Funds within the framework of cohesion policy. This is an important prerequisite for ensuring that Ukrainian communities can work with future EU funding mechanisms in a systematic manner, rather than haphazardly – as if in a dark corridor without a torch.