Ukraine must adopt a basic law on social housing by June 1, 2027. This is one of the conditions for fulfilling the international Ukraine Facility program, and this exact deadline, according to the relevant Verkhovna Rada committee, determines the further work on the document. Currently, the parliamentary committee is awaiting the submission of a government bill being jointly prepared by two ministries.
Deadline from International Obligations
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to statements by Olena Shuliak, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Power Organization, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning, made during the Annual Housing Conference supported by the World Bank. According to her, the bill is being developed by the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development and the Ministry of Social Policy, and upon the document's arrival at the committee, its review must be prompt so that Ukraine can meet its international obligations.
Two Ministries and Tight Deadlines
"These are very tight deadlines, and indeed, without close cooperation with the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, the Ministry of Social Policy, and the Ministry of Economy as the national coordinator of Ukraine Facility, we will not achieve the positive result we expect," Shuliak emphasized. Thus, responsibility for drafting and coordinating the text is distributed among several agencies, with the Ministry of Economy acting as the national coordinator of the program, making interagency coordination a key condition for meeting the deadline.
European Affordable Housing Plan
Separately, Shuliak mentioned the bill on the renovation of the outdated housing stock, which the Verkhovna Rada has already adopted in the first reading. According to her, further work on the document must take into account the provisions of the European Affordable Housing Plan, approved by the European Commission in December 2025. This plan, in particular, concerns the more efficient use of the existing housing stock and the regulation of rental relations, setting guidelines for Ukrainian legislation.
The Czech Republic's Lesson and the Role of Experts
The committee plans to involve experts in developing the social housing law. Shuliak assured that the parliamentary committee is open to specialist proposals and will consider legislative initiatives related to the fulfillment of Ukraine's international obligations as a matter of priority. As an example, she cited the Czech Republic, where a housing strategy exists, but a social housing law still does not. In the MP's opinion, without an appropriate legislative basis, the housing strategy risks remaining only on paper.
Context: Financing and Internally Displaced Persons
Work on the social housing law is taking place against the backdrop of large-scale external financing of the housing sector: according to EU Deputy Ambassador to Ukraine Gediminas Navickas, the European Union has already invested about 1 billion euros in this sector, and more than 370 million euros are in the preparation stage. In parallel, in September, the Verkhovna Rada supported in principle a bill allowing internally displaced persons to mortgage housing purchased with housing vouchers. Earlier, the Rada also noted that state and international funds are insufficient to provide housing for Ukrainians who lost it due to Russian aggression, and the option of involving local budgets was considered.
