Ukraine’s new housing policy: preferential mortgages, leasing, social rental housing and more
6 January 10:56
The government approved the draft law “On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy” during its first meeting this year, and it will be further considered by the Verkhovna Rada. This was announced by the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning Olena Shulyak, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
According to her, realizing the urgency of change, housing policy reform has become one of the key priorities of the Facility Plan, a comprehensive reform plan based on the principle: “Actions first, money later”. The implementation of this reform is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025.
To understand how important this is, the MP advises to look at the current Ukrainian housing policy system, which is still based on the Housing Code of 1983.
“This is a document that resembles an old Soviet Khrushchev: peeling, without repair, with rotten pipes and cracks in the walls,” noted Olena Shulyak.
What is the current state of the housing sector in Ukraine?
Olena Shulyak listed the problems that have been accumulating in the housing sector for decades:
– about 600 thousand people on the housing waiting list without any hope of getting it;
– lack of social rental housing, maneuverable housing stock;
– primitive legislative regulation of rental housing;
– weak state mortgage policy in terms of assistance to IDPs;
– outdated housing stock.
And now, according to the MP, these problems have been multiplied by millions of IDPs and the destruction of housing due to the war. The situation has become incredibly complicated.
What should change after the update of the housing policy framework
The topic of updating the housing policy was the subject of large-scale public consultations, during which hundreds of experts from various fields contributed to the development of the document to provide citizens with effective mechanisms for exercising their right to housing and avoiding legal conflicts.
Olena Shulyak explained what the new draft law provides for:
– Creation of an effective credit and mortgage policy (preferential mortgage, compensation for the cost of housing, rent with purchase, leasing).
– Launching a revolving housing stock that will be constantly updated.
– Development of socially rented and service housing.
– All procedures will be conducted through the Unified Information and Analytical System, which will ensure transparency and minimize corruption.
– Approval of the State Housing Strategy and regional strategies that will be part of it.
According to the MP, today’s Ukrainian housing policy is like a placebo pill: it seems to exist, but it does not bring any benefit. In her opinion, it is time to change this situation and lay a new housing foundation for millions of Ukrainians.
