Housing for IDPs in Ukraine: steps towards durable solutions [EN/UK]
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As confirmed by the Profiling of IDP situation in Luhansk region conducted by NRC Ukraine in 2019-2020, access to housing and employment are the key factors determining IDPs’ intention to stay in the location of their displacement or to relocate elsewhere, including a return to their abandoned place of residence. The exercise also shows that the key major difference between IDPs and non-IDPs relates to housing ownership and security of tenure. Where 92% of non-IDP households reported owning their housing, the response rate among IDPs was 11%. Most IDPs reported to rent (66%) or stay in accommodation provided by their relatives or friends (19%). Around 3% of IDPs reported to reside in housing provided by the authorities.
According to the latest National Monitoring System Report on the situation of internally displaced persons conducted by International Organisation for Migration (IOM NMS), “60% of IDPs continued to live in rented housing, and only 10% of IDPs have own housing. Private property possession was named as the reason for returning by 86% of working-age returnees and by 94 per cent of elderly ones.”
As of 2021, there are several housing frameworks for IDPs available in Ukraine. However, those are not necessarily tailored to IDPs’ needs, and insufficient budgetary allocations often impede their implementation. In addition, the IOM NMS confirms the lack of awareness regarding housing programmes among IDPs, as less than a half of interviewed have information concerning the favourable terms of housing solutions for IDPs. The majority of those who know at least some information regarding the housing solutions are working-age IDPs. Almost all IDPs who are aware of housing programmes would like to participate in them.
In addition to the lack of awareness among IDPs about the housing solutions, this report demonstrates the lack of systemic and comprehensive data collection (in particular, regarding the free housing and a total number of housing units, availability of the housing funds, etc.) and lack of information about the obstacles IDPs face when pursuing the existing housing solutions.
This report provides a general overview and recommendations regarding the housing solutions available for IDPs in Ukraine.