{"id":27170,"date":"2025-08-15T23:25:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T20:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/?post_type=event&#038;p=27170"},"modified":"2025-08-15T23:25:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T20:25:19","slug":"from-regulations-to-real-solutions-how-hromadas-ensure-the-housing-rights-of-internally-displaced-people","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/event\/from-regulations-to-real-solutions-how-hromadas-ensure-the-housing-rights-of-internally-displaced-people\/","title":{"rendered":"From Regulations to Real Solutions: How Hromadas Ensure the Housing Rights of Internally Displaced People"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The issue of realizing the housing rights of internally displaced people remains one of the key challenges for Ukrainian Hromadas. Despite the existence of a regulatory framework, many procedures are still complicated or unclear at the local level. To overcome these barriers, the team of the Legal Development Network is implementing an advocacy campaign with the financial support of the Czech Development Agency and in partnership with the humanitarian organization \u201cPeople in Need.\u201d Its goal is to help Hromadas find and implement practical housing solutions that meet the real needs of internally displaced people.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following a meeting within the framework of the \u201cVidnova\u201d project, which covers Mykolaivska and Ivano-Frankivska Oblasts, we documented the main ideas, proposals, and solutions suggested by the Legal Development Network\u2019s advocacy expert, Liudmyla Yaremchuk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The results of the Legal Development Network\u2019s research in six Hromadas of Mykolaivska and Ivano-Frankivska Oblasts demonstrate a large number of internally displaced people in need of housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In three Hromadas of Mykolaivska Oblast, there is a significant number of internally displaced people, with about half belonging to vulnerable categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Halytsynove Hromada has received <strong>876<\/strong> internally displaced people, including:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; &nbsp; <strong>241 <\/strong>children under 18,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; &nbsp; <strong>195<\/strong> pensioners,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; &nbsp; <strong>49<\/strong> people with disabilities,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; &nbsp; <strong>391 <\/strong>people of working age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXeN-7Myr5dQte9vt2NHYi7kgmEDfddV0JVOuhXwcjhJLGfG3skLTtJVWOXx3oWta_gkouOQTO90Am0y6sz0sYs-n1syVJ11NYX5UXiG76UEW_Aqk5YO2laHRly4rDJ1uI2hQsCb1HjdYybmJJZ3gCU?key=pE53R1jxKneQUVXQLe2Zfg\" alt=\"\u0417\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044f, \u0449\u043e \u043c\u0456\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0442\u044c \u0442\u0435\u043a\u0441\u0442, \u043e\u0434\u0435\u0436\u0430, \u041e\u0431\u043b\u0438\u0447\u0447\u044f \u043b\u044e\u0434\u0438\u043d\u0438, \u043a\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044e\u043c\n\n\u0412\u043c\u0456\u0441\u0442 \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u0441\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0456 \u0428\u0406 \u043c\u043e\u0436\u0435 \u0431\u0443\u0442\u0438 \u043d\u0435\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043c.\" style=\"width:700px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The Legal Development Network\u2019s advocacy expert Liudmyla Yaremchuk<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cIf we take into account that most of the working-age people are parents raising children, then we are dealing with families in difficult life circumstances,\u201d<\/em> emphasizes<strong> Liudmyla Yaremchuk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Bereznehuvate Hromada \u2014 <strong>1,081<\/strong> displaced people, <strong>53.5%<\/strong> of whom are not able to work. This means that more than half of the displaced are pensioners, children, and people with disabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Bashtanka Hromada has 1,904 displaced people, including:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; &nbsp; <strong>544<\/strong> children under 18,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; &nbsp; <strong>274 <\/strong>pensioners,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; &nbsp; <strong>83<\/strong> people with disabilities,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; &nbsp; <strong>1,003<\/strong> people of working age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that 47.3% of all displaced people are from vulnerable categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the significant need, none of these three Hromadas has created temporary accommodation facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWe see the absence of established temporary accommodation facilities, despite the fact that these Hromadas have hundreds of families with children, pensioners, and people with disabilities,\u201d<\/em> <em>emphasizes <\/em><strong>Liudmyla Yaremchuk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ivano-Frankivska Oblast<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Ivano-Frankivska Oblast, the situation is somewhat better \u2014 some Hromadas have organized temporary accommodation facilities, but the number of places does not correspond to the scale of the needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0Kolomyia Urban Hromada \u2014 the largest host center:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; more than <strong>8,000<\/strong> internally displaced people,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; <strong>2,202<\/strong> children,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; <strong>1,278<\/strong> pensioners,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; <strong>1,845<\/strong> people of working age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than <strong>43.8%<\/strong> of the internally displaced are not able to work, without taking family context into account. The Hromada has created <strong>eight<\/strong> temporary accommodation facilities, where <strong>262 <\/strong>people live, with <strong>15 <\/strong>available beds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Kalush Urban Hromada has <strong>three <\/strong>functioning temporary accommodation facilities, housing <strong>81<\/strong> displaced people, with no available places. About 48% of the displaced in the Hromada are from vulnerable categories.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Tlumach Hromada accommodates <strong>88<\/strong> displaced people in two temporary accommodation facilities, with <strong>8<\/strong> available beds. The proportion of vulnerable categories is <strong>50%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These data clearly demonstrate the urgent need for a systemic solution to the housing issue for internally displaced people, particularly at the level of local and regional programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Housing Rights of Internally Displaced People: Between Law and Reality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the state has introduced a number of housing programs: compensation for destroyed property, concessional loans, and state support for construction. However, the effectiveness of these mechanisms often depends on the ability of Hromadas to adapt them to their conditions and the needs of the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In reality, local self-government bodies are often left alone with this problem. They bear the responsibility for accommodating, registering, and providing housing for internally displaced people, as well as for finding resources and preparing documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the Legal Development Network\u2019s advocacy expert, <strong>Liudmyla Yaremchuk<\/strong>, notes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cIt is important to understand that the right to housing is not limited to having a roof over one\u2019s head. It is about safety, the possibility of recovery, and social integration. Therefore, housing policy should be part of the Hromada\u2019s development strategy, not a short-term anti-crisis measure.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Partnership as a Tool for Change<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within the framework of the \u201cVidnova\u201d project, experts from the Legal Development Network held a series of online meetings and consultations with Hromadas, Oblast administrations, and representatives of internally displaced people. One of the main tasks was to identify existing barriers and to find effective mechanisms for overcoming discrepancies between plans and practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participants of the events emphasized that solutions do not always require large budgets. Hromadas already have potential \u2014 premises, reserve plots of land, and proactive specialists. The question is how to use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key factor was open communication and cross-sectoral cooperation \u2014 in many cases, when a Hromada did not know where to start, interaction with lawyers, human rights defenders, and veterans\u2019 communities was exactly what helped. This made it possible to: prepare appeals to ministries, carry out an inventory of municipal property, submit applications for international technical assistance, and initiate the creation of housing programs within the Hromada\u2019s development strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One positive example is a Hromada in Mykolaivska Oblast, where a former municipal building, unused for years, was legally transferred to the housing stock. With the support of partners, a technical inspection was carried out, project and cost documentation was prepared, and a project was submitted for grant funding for reconstruction. At the same time, by decision of the executive committee, regulations were approved for granting this housing to internally displaced people for temporary use, with transparent criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This case will become part of a handbook that the project team is preparing for publication \u2014 as an example of a housing solution that can be scaled to other Oblasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the discussion, Hromada representatives also shared the difficulties they most often face: the bureaucratic component \u2014 complexity in transferring buildings to the housing stock (need for permits, technical passports, condition assessments); lack of full-time specialists to manage housing programs; and limited financial resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Challenges in Implementing the Housing Rights of Internally Displaced People at the Local Level<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0Low level of practical implementation: legislation provides mechanisms, but there is a lack of clear action algorithms at the local level.<br>Decisions often remain \u201con paper\u201d because Hromadas lack resources or due to the complexity of administrative procedures.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Insufficient communication: local self-government bodies do not always receive timely or clear information from central authorities. There are also difficulties with initiative \u2014 Hromadas are not confident in the legality of certain steps, for example, transferring educational facilities into housing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Lack of clear instructions on transferring facilities into the housing stock. Liudmyla Yaremchuk noted that Hromadas confuse the concepts of \u201ctemporary accommodation place\u201d and \u201chousing for temporary residence.\u201d<br>There is also a lack of clarifications on the technical requirements for housing provided to displaced people, such as safety standards or sanitary conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Housing Stock for Internally Displaced People: How Hromadas Can Implement Resolution No. 422<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Resolution No. 422 allows Hromadas to create a temporary housing stock for internally displaced people. Hromadas can construct new housing, purchase apartments or houses, or convert non-residential premises into housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cHousing is provided for one year. If the family has not improved its financial or housing situation, the contract may be extended,\u201d<\/em> emphasizes <strong>Liudmyla Yaremchuk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Priority for obtaining such housing is given to: families with children, large families, people with disabilities, and the elderly. This right is also granted to internally displaced people whose average monthly income does not exceed the rental cost or does not exceed the subsistence minimum per person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Financing is carried out at the expense of local budgets and local programs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cIt is precisely through the adoption of local programs and the allocation of funds within them that we can implement this resolution locally,\u201d <\/em>emphasizes <strong>Liudmyla Yaremchuk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stories of Hromadas that have managed to turn empty premises into housing prove that change is possible. For this, not only political will is needed, but also support, knowledge, and partnership. Advocacy is not only about protecting rights \u2014 it is about constructive cooperation with the authorities and using tools that help Hromadas act within the law while taking into account people\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The focus of the \u201cVidnova\u201d project is on creating an environment in which a Hromada will not be left alone and people will not be left without answers. Because providing housing is not only social policy, it is also the restoration of human life after loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This material was prepared by the Legal Development Network in cooperation with the humanitarian organization \u201cPeople in Need\u201d and with the financial support of the Czech Development Agency.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The conclusions, interpretations of the collected information, and other statements expressed in this material are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the project\u2019s donors and partners.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The issue of realizing the housing rights of internally displaced people remains one of the key challenges for Ukrainian Hromadas. Despite the existence of a regulatory framework, many procedures are still complicated or unclear at the local level. To overcome&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":27095,"template":"","project":[649,650],"section":[],"event-type":[],"region":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event\/27170"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/event"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event\/27170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27171,"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event\/27170\/revisions\/27171"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"project","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project?post=27170"},{"taxonomy":"section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section?post=27170"},{"taxonomy":"event-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event-type?post=27170"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ldn.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=27170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}