Right to Protection continues to share information on the housing possibilities for internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the Amalgamated Territorial Communities (Hromadas) in Ukraine (Hromadas).
With the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Program, our specialists organized online consultations, where representatives from Hromadas learn about the specifics of the procedure of receiving governmental financial assistance (subventions) to purchase housing for IDPs. Recently, on December 15 and December 17, Right to Protection also organized consultations for communities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
«For Right to Protection CF, long-term housing solutions for IDPs are a main priority. That’s why, starting next year, we will begin to implement a number of activities on this matter in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. At the moment, we want to draw the attention of communities to the possibility of receiving subventions from the state budget to local budgets for the implementation of measures for the regional socio-economic development, »
– said Myroslava Sushchenko, head of the Right to Protection CF in Dnipro and Zaporizhia.
Consultation event for representatives of Donetsk region communities
30 representatives of the amalgamated territorial communities of Donetsk region joined the consultation event, which took place on December 15.
- Maksym Alekseenko-Lemovsky, Chief Specialist of the Department for Formation and Implementation of Housing Policy of the Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine told the participants about the procedure and conditions for providing subventions from the state budget to local budgets as well as about the Temporary Housing Funds for IDPs.
- Myroslava Sushchenko spoke in detail about the structure, peculiarities of the development and approval of the Local Target Program for IDP housing opportunities, as well as about the procedures for creating a Temporary Housing Fund, provision of such housing for the use of IDPs, including the apartments purchase on the secondary market.
At the end of her speech, Ms. Myroslava called on the communities to consider participating in the competition for a state subvention for socio-economic development of the territories.
«Through provision of housing, you have an opportunity to attract new residents to your communities. And if those residents will also be industry professionals, this will result in rise of employment rate, and accordingly – more tax revenues to the local budget, »
– said Myroslava Sushchenko, head of the Right to Protection CF in Dnipro and Zaporizhia. .
The event was also attended by the representatives of international organizations, who spoke about their activities and the possibility to receive international technical assistance for the socio-economic development of the communities.
- Iryna Bystrytska, Legal Protection Adviser at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Mariupol, spoke about the work of UNHCR.
- Oleksandr Radionov, a leading financial expert on the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund in Ukraine spoke in detail about the achievements of projects in the Donetsk region and future possible UNDP projects.
- Galyna El Khatri, Chief Community Development Consultant of the South-Eastern Regional Office of the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund, introduced the participants to the projects and activities of the USIF.
Online meeting of capable and effective territorial communities of Luhansk region
Another consultation event took place on December 17, but this time – for the communities of Luhansk region. In total, about 20 representatives of communities in the region joined the event.
The main topic was the same: receiving the subventions for the establishment of the IDP Temporary Housing Fund. Speakers on the event helped the participants to learn more and understand the nuances and the most common mistakes to consider while preparing documents for receiving the subvention.
- Christoph Bo, Senior Security Adviser at the UNHCR Eastern Office spoke about the activities of the Office on the matter of assistance to the internally displaced persons in Ukraine, as well as about the achievements of 2020 and the priorities for 2021.
- Maksym Alekseenko-Lemovsky, Chief Specialist of the Department for the Formation and Implementation of Housing Policy of the Department for Social and Humanitarian Policy and Internally Displaced Persons of the Ministry for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine described in detail the mechanism for providing subventions from the state budget to local budgets.
- Olena Prykhodko, Head of the Kharkiv Regional Office of the Right to Protection CF discussed with the participants the specifics of providing the housing for temporary use from the housing funds to IDPs.
- Babchenko Oleksiy, head of the Civil-military administration in Zolote and the village of Katerynivka in Popasna district of the Luhansk region shared his experience in obtaining and implementing a subvention.
«In Luhansk oblast, there are only 2 examples of amalgamated Hromadas that have successfully received a subvention, and those are the Starobilsk and Zolote. We hope that their experience will inspire other communities as well. Great example is Zolote. City is located near the contact line, has been destroyed before and still has problems due to hostilities. Despite this, the motivation and resources were found to obtain a subvention to provide internally displaced persons with housing. This is very inspiring that there is already an understanding in the Hromadas that IDPs are not a burden, but a powerful resource that can be transformed into the driving force for the community development,»
– told Olena Prykhodko, head of the Luhansk regional office of the Right to Protection CF.
The consultation event was organized by the Luhansk Regional Office of the Right to Protection CF jointly with the Luhansk Regional Office of the U-LEAD with Europe Program.