New affordable housing for internally displaced persons has opened in Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. The renovated former “Zirochka” kindergarten, which had been unused for over 20 years, has been transformed into a modern living space for people who were forced to leave their homes due to the war.
The building contains 48 apartments designed to accommodate up to 150 people. As of today, 43 apartments have already been occupied. The residents are primarily women and children from regions affected by the war, including the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.
Natalia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, noted that such projects serve as important pilot models that allow for the testing of new approaches to the development of social and affordable housing and lay the groundwork for scaling up these initiatives at the national level.
“Today, we are working on a comprehensive reform of housing policy. The Law ‘On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy,’ developed jointly with international partners, has already entered into force. The new framework provides for the development of affordable rental housing and the creation of a European model of social housing. The Ministry of Development is collaborating with Habitat for Humanity on legislative reform, and pilot affordable housing projects provide an opportunity to test these mechanisms in practice and integrate the best approaches into the new policy. “We view such initiatives as test models—they allow us to evaluate financial, managerial, and social solutions before scaling them up at the national level. It is precisely based on this experience that we are also preparing a draft law on social housing,” noted Natalia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine.
The completed project is a response to a real community need: over 4,500 internally displaced persons live in Kalush, and, as in many cities across Ukraine, there is a shortage of affordable and social housing.
During the renovation, the building was completely refurbished: the layout was changed, the roof was replaced, the utility systems were modernized, and the space was adapted for people with disabilities. The apartments are already furnished with basic furniture, so residents can move in immediately.
The residential complex is located in the city center, close to essential amenities—schools, shops, and public transportation. It also features common areas and green spaces for residents.
Housing remains affordable: residents pay a service fee (approximately 1,900 to 6,600 UAH per month) and utility bills based on meter readings.
The project was implemented with the participation of international and Ukrainian partners, including funding from Habitat for Humanity, in collaboration with Matalab and with the support of local authorities. Construction was fully funded by donor contributions. The total construction cost was 798 euros per square meter.
The housing complex in Kalush is part of a broader transformation of housing policy in Ukraine. It is being implemented under the new Law “On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy,” which provides for the development of affordable rental and social housing. Such initiatives are intended to serve as the foundation for a new system of housing solutions for Ukrainians affected by the war.