A workshop entitled “Towards the Development of a National Housing Policy Strategy” was held in Kyiv. The event was organized by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine together with the World Bank Group, represented by Mr. Min Zhang, Global Director for Urban Development, Sustainability, and Land Resources. The main goal was to develop a shared vision of the fundamental principles of the National Housing Policy Strategy.
The event was opened by Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine – Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba. He thanked everyone present for participating despite the nighttime heavy shelling of the country. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that in the context of full-scale war, housing policy is a priority issue.
“Today, the focus is on housing policy. Not as a separate sector or document, but as an issue that affects millions of people in all regions of Ukraine. It is not just about construction or financial mechanisms. It is a response to the complex reality in which we have been living for the fourth year in a row, in conditions of full-scale war.
That is why housing policy needs to change its focus. We need to create an open, honest, balanced field where everyone — young people, military personnel, families with children, veterans, internally displaced families — understands what opportunities are available, how to take advantage of them, and what the state guarantees,” said Oleksiy Kuleba.
He also stressed that an important component of the State Housing Policy Strategy will be a compensation program for internally displaced persons from temporarily occupied territories and combatants.
“An important focus of the Ministry of Development is housing policy for war veterans and people from temporarily occupied territories. As of now, they do not have access to compensation for housing losses. These people are effectively excluded from the existing mechanisms, and therefore we must act now. Recently, we had a meeting with the World Bank, where we discussed the start of joint development of a program to support IDPs from temporarily occupied territories. Our initiative involves providing housing vouchers that can be used to purchase housing, make a down payment on a mortgage, or repay part of a loan. Together with the World Bank, we need to develop the mechanisms of the project and present them to the public,” said Oleksiy Kuleba.
In turn, Min Zhang expressed his readiness to support Ukraine in developing a State Strategy for Housing Policy.
“Today’s event is not just the beginning of strategy development. It is a call to action for everyone. The World Bank has experience in supporting governments in various countries in shaping housing policy and is ready to share its knowledge and expertise. We are ready to support Ukraine on this path, both financially and analytically, technically and strategically,” said Min Zhang, Global Director of Urban Development, Sustainability, and Land Resources at the World Bank.
Deputy Minister Natalia Kozlovska presented the draft structure of the future Strategy, developed jointly with international partners and government representatives. It should take into account:
- Real housing affordability — through the development of the rental market, the launch of effective financial and credit instruments, and the improvement of mortgage programs.
- Fair participation of the state in resolving housing issues for veterans, military personnel, internally displaced persons, large families, and young people.
- Development of the institutional capacity of local authorities — communities should receive effective tools for implementing housing policy at the local level.
- Involvement of international partners, business, and experts — to form a balanced, sustainable model.
- Openness in housing policy, which will include the creation of a unified electronic information and analytical housing system.
During the workshop, four panel discussions were held, where the following topics were discussed:
- key issues and challenges of housing policy, as well as measures to ensure transparency of procedures for access to housing;
- the need to renovate the housing stock and reform the management of apartment buildings;
- the development of new approaches to urban planning and the development of public space;
- fair participation of the state in ensuring access to housing for certain categories of the population.
In addition to the Ministry of Development team and the World Bank Group, representatives of the Verkhovna Rada, the Association of Ukrainian Cities, the Council of Europe and European Commission offices, UN agencies, and other international organizations participated in the workshop.
For reference: the development of the State Housing Policy Strategy has already begun – the first inaugural meeting of the working group took place on June 10. The formation of the State Housing Policy Strategy is a requirement of the Ukraine Facility, defined within the framework of Reform 7 (“Ensuring access to housing for those in need”).
We would also like to remind you that on June 16, the Ministry of Development, together with international partners, discussed the expansion of the HOPE program as part of the World Bank mission. This is a new support program for internally displaced persons from temporarily occupied territories. It should give people the opportunity to purchase housing to replace what they lost in the temporarily occupied territories.
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