Housing policy in wartime has to address several challenges simultaneously: helping people find accommodation, supporting the recovery of communities, enabling the recruitment of workers, and helping people return to a safe, independent life. This requires more than just funding for construction. It requires accurate data on needs, a range of financial instruments, legislation, the capacity of communities to plan their housing stock, and cooperation between the government, parliament, and international partners.

These issues formed the focus of the plenary session “From forming a new housing policy to restoring the right to housing” at the First Annual Housing Conference in Ukraine. The conference was organised by the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine and the World Bank Group. The participants discussed how to translate housing strategy into practical solutions and the steps that need to be taken at national, regional, and local levels to achieve these goals.

Ellen Hamilton, the moderator of the plenary session and Lead Urban Specialist for the Urban, Resilience and Land Global Practice – Europe and Central Asia Region of the World Bank, suggested looking at housing as more than just a roof over our heads. It is an important family asset, part of the economy and the construction sector, and a prerequisite for access to work, education and healthcare. Housing policy should therefore be linked to other areas of recovery.

 

The strategy needs to be based on data and the capacity of communities

Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine Nataliia Kozlovska stressed that the housing strategy needs to be a common framework for all authorities and partners, rather than a document produced by a single ministry. However, it will be implemented in a context where needs are constantly changing: housing is being destroyed, some territories remain occupied, and people are moving within the country and abroad.

‘We should understand that housing policy in wartime is shaped by an extremely dynamic environment. We cannot accurately predict what the demand will be even in a few months’ time, because the security situation is changing, housing continues to be destroyed, and the geography of internal migration is shifting,’ said Nataliia Kozlovska.

For planning purposes, she said, a common methodology for assessing housing needs and a unified information and analytical system are required. This should help to understand not only the overall need for housing, but also where exactly it is needed, for whom, in what form, and with what local services. Nataliia Kozlovska reported that budgetary funding has been allocated for the development of such a system, and called on international partners to contribute their expert support.

The strategy is to be implemented in phases, in the periods 2027–2029 and 2030–2033. Following the first three-year period, the priorities are to be reviewed, taking into account the security situation, available resources, and changing needs.

Communities have a key role here: the existing housing stock has to be assessed at the local level, people’s needs identified, the use of resources planned and projects prepared. However, these powers have to be accompanied by financial and institutional capacity. Housing that is being built or renovated has to meet energy efficiency, safety, and accessibility requirements.

 

A single financial instrument is not sufficient to meet diverse needs

Deputy Minister for the Economy and the Environment Yehor Hryhorenko divided the challenges of housing policy into three components: effective demand, the capacity to increase supply, and high-quality analytics to coordinate decisions.

He estimates that around 70% of households lack the financial reserves that would enable them to afford a home on their own. This means that affordable mortgages can help some people, but do not solve the problem for everyone. Yehor Hryhorenko referred to the eOselya programme as a model that has demonstrated how to develop a housing product and engage with banks. However, the scale of the programme needs to be significantly expanded, and alternative options need to be provided for those who cannot access a mortgage.

‘Even in the best-case scenario, subsidised mortgages can only meet part of the housing need. For the rest, social housing, affordable rent and intermediate models are required. For example, rental with an option to buy later. Such solutions need to be developed and tested,’ noted Yehor Hryhorenko.

He drew attention to the fact that housing problems also affect employment. People may turn down jobs or refuse to move to another region if they have nowhere to live. Housing programmes are therefore linked to economic recovery and ensuring communities have a workforce. To increase the supply of housing, he said, it is also necessary to facilitate developers’ access to finance, streamline unnecessary administrative procedures, and support construction-related sectors.

Apart from this, Yehor Hryhorenko highlighted the need to jointly monitor how state and donor resources are used. An online platform for housing needs could be a first step, but sound analytics and the coordination of financial instruments are required for decision-making.

 

Social housing should support a person’s independence

Serhii Khudiiash, Advisor to the Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, examined housing policy from the perspective of social support. His key argument is that housing should be part of a system that helps people regain their independence, rather than merely providing a temporary solution to the problem of having a roof over one’s head.

As an example of the state’s role during crises, Serhii Khudiiash gave winter support for households near the front line. According to Mr Khudiiash, 106,000 households within 20 kilometres of the front line are receiving financial assistance. The payments are made through the Pension Fund in coordination with mechanisms overseen by the UN.

He also spoke of the need to change the approach to social housing: the focus should be on people’s needs, rather than merely the availability of buildings or property. This requires a clear legal definition of social housing, an operator responsible for its management, and transparent rules for social tenancy.

‘Social housing should help people move forward, integrate into the community, find work, and live independently. We should not create isolated social housing complexes or environments where people find themselves cut off from services, work, and the everyday life of the community,’ said Serhii Khudiiash.

This approach is particularly important for internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, families with children and other groups who need not only housing but also access to social services and the opportunity to be part of the community. Serhii Khudiiash pointed out that people’s return and social cohesion depend on whether they can build a life where they have settled.

 

Legislation should provide practical tools for the strategy

Olena Shuliak, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the Organisation of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, emphasised that housing policy concerns not only construction but also economic development, demography, national security, and the country’s unity.

She described the Law “On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy” as the foundation of the reform, but stressed that without by-laws, a strategy and specific indicators, it would not bring about change on its own. The national strategy, she said, should form the basis for regional and local housing strategies, so that communities can move from general objectives to specific projects.

‘If we simply write in the strategy that there should be an upward trend, it will be difficult to assess. We need targets to work towards: more affordable housing, more contracts signed, more projects completed. Then the changes will be visible at the local level too,’ said Olena Shuliak.

She also highlighted the need to include housing support for veterans in the strategy. According to the MP, such support should be linked to education, vocational training, and employment, rather than being treated as a separate measure.

Another area of focus concerns the rental market. Olena Shuliak explained that the Parliament decided first to reduce the tax burden and then to return to ways of formalising tenancy arrangements. The next step should protect both tenants and landlords and at the same time promote transparent tax payments.

During the discussion on the use of vacant housing, the MP cautioned against the idea of forcing private owners to let out their properties or penalising them with taxes for non-use. Instead, she said, an inventory should be carried out of state-owned and communal premises, as well as properties that could be converted for residential use, particularly for internally displaced persons.

Olena Shuliak mentioned investor protection mechanisms, the possible introduction of escrow accounts through pilot projects, and the search for ways to speed up construction among the legislative priorities. As an example, she referred to the German approach to streamlining administrative procedures and work on mechanisms that could help convert unused industrial sites into residential areas in consultation with communities.

 

European experience: Social housing needs to be part of the city

Joost Mohlmann, Head of the Reconstruction, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, shared the experience of European countries. He noted that a housing system does not emerge in a single year: it is shaped by legislation, funding, the work of institutions, and consistent regulations.

Taking the example of the Netherlands, Joost Mohlmann spoke about the significant proportion of social housing, emphasising that models vary from country to country. Social housing should support those who need it, but at the same time help them to integrate, find work and, over time, move on to other housing solutions.

‘Social housing should not be isolated from the rest of the city. It should be connected to transport, energy, services, and the ability to commute to work. We need to think not only about the building itself, but also about how people will live in the surrounding area,’ noted Joost Mohlmann.

European experience, he said, could be useful for Ukraine, but it needs to be adapted to regional characteristics: the composition of households, the state of the housing stock, the needs of cities and communities, and the local housing market. He also emphasised the importance of transparent rules and a clear system in which social, rental, and private housing complement one another.

Concluding the discussion, Ellen Hamilton stressed the scale of the challenge and the need for comprehensive cooperation. The housing issue cannot be resolved by a single law, a single programme or a single source of funding. The outcome will depend on whether the government, parliament, communities, and international partners can align their decisions.

This continues the topic of the first article on the conference: housing is a condition for community recovery. The state formulates policy and provides tools, but communities themselves should identify local needs, plan the housing stock, and prepare projects. For this partnership to work, communities need reliable data, resources, and institutional capacity, whereas people need a choice between different types of housing suited to their circumstances.