Ukrainians Choose Their Native Regions: Why the 'eRecovery' Program Does Not Stimulate a Mass Exodus to the West

Expectations that the housing recovery program would trigger a mass internal migration of Ukrainians to the western part of the country have not been met. Statistics on the use of housing certificates within the framework of the 'eRecovery' initiative show a different picture: citizens prefer to remain in their native regions.

This was stated in a comment to RBC-Ukraine by Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery, Minister of Communities and Territories Development, Oleksiy Kuleba. Despite the fact that the program gives people full freedom of choice regarding the location for purchasing a new home, western regions turned out to be the least popular direction for relocation.

Priority for Native Territories

According to data presented by Kuleba's ministry, the leaders in the use of housing certificates are the regions where citizens lived before the start of active hostilities. This confirms a stable trend: the majority of people strive to purchase new housing specifically in their own region.

The Minister notes that the decision to purchase real estate depends not only on security factors or economic conditions. Family ties, availability of employment, a familiar social environment, and the desire to remain part of a known community have a decisive influence on the choice of residence.

Government Position: Freedom of Choice Without Artificial Stimulation

Despite the unevenness of internal migration, the government does not plan to intervene in this process by introducing special benefits or increasing coefficients for certain regions. In particular, the issue of stimulating relocation to the western part of the country through financial bonuses is currently not being considered.

Oleksiy Kuleba emphasized that when developing the 'eRecovery' program, the state proceeded from a key principle — to provide a person with the right to independently choose where exactly to purchase new housing after losing their own. Thus, the current statistics reflect the real desires and needs of the population, rather than administrative pressure.