THE WAYS OF DEVELOPING HOUSING POLICY DISCUSSED AT THE UKRAINIAN URBAN FORUM

Ivan Parukh, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the SFYH took part in the Ukrainian Urban Forum in Vinnytsia, organized by the Cedos think tank with the support of the Heinrich Boell Foundation (Germany).

On July 28, in his speech at the national roundtable on housing policy problems and prospects held within the framework of the forum, Ivan Parukh focused on the results of work and potential of the SFYH as a leading institution in the field of state housing policy.

The Fund fulfills an important social mission, he said: socially sensitive categories of the population - internally displaced persons, youth, ATO/JFO participants and some others - are at the forefront of the state and regional programs administered by the institution.

Given the obvious lack of funding for housing programs directly from the state budget in the context of a large-scale war, the First Deputy Chairman of the Fund focused on the results obtained and the significant potential of mortgage programs for Ukrainians implemented through alternative sources of funding, in particular, grants from foreign financial institutions.

The discussion focused on the results of the Housing for IDPs program, which is being implemented with a grant from the German government provided through KfW Bank. Based on the analysis of the work done in 2021-2022 by the SFYH and international and national partners, the program will be renewed this year.

Ivan Parukh also focused on the opportunities offered by Ukraine's recent accession to the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB). It should be mentioned that our country's accession to the Bank took place after many years of advocacy by the SFYH.

The CEB has decades of experience in implementing social, including housing, projects for displaced persons and refugees in European countries whose housing rights have been violated as a result of wars. Now Ukraine has the opportunity to join the creation and implementation of such programs for its citizens.

One of the key factors for the effective implementation of programs and initiatives in the housing sector is modern national legislation that will meet the complex challenges Ukraine is currently facing.  "The state authorities, local governments and the public - all of us must join forces to develop and adopt a law on the basics of state housing policy as a fundamental legislative act in the housing sector," emphasized Ivan Parukh.