Ukraine introduces social rental housing

To improve access to social housing, on 2 July 2025 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted Decree № 796, launching a pilot project to establish a social rental housing fund. Under this project, housing will be provided to citizens on a long-term basis at preferential rental rates.

The key innovation of the project is the shift from the practice of free-of-charge use of housing to a model of affordable rental housing. This approach is in line with European practices and aims to gradually develop a sustainable municipal rental housing sector capable of operating in the long term and reaching a larger number of people.

Who will have priority access to social housing

Priority in access to municipal (social) rental housing will be given to applicants who:

1. belong to several eligible (preferential) categories at the same time;
2. have been registered on housing waiting lists for an extended period.

Main conditions for obtaining social rental housing

To qualify for social rental housing, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. does not own housing or live in conditions where the living space is below the minimum standard of 13.65 square metres per person;
2. all adult able-bodied family members must be employed, registered as individual entrepreneurs, or officially registered with the State Employment Service as unemployed or jobseekers;
3. the total household income must not exceed the maximum threshold calculated according to a specific formula.

Who can become a beneficiary of social rental housing

Social rental housing is primarily intended for those most in need. Eligible categories include:

1. socially vulnerable groups, in particular internally displaced persons (IDPs), survivors of domestic violence, large families, families with children under the age of three, persons with disabilities, etc.;
2. war veterans, including combatants, persons with war-related disabilities, and persons deprived of personal liberty as a result of the war;
3. workers in socially important professions, such as healthcare workers, teachers, employees of municipal enterprises, and social workers, etc.

Please note that to participate in the pilot project, internally displaced persons and other categories of applicants (with the exception of persons in need of care services or supported living) must not simultaneously:

1. receive IDP subsistence assistance; or
2. receive cash compensation for housing rent.

This rule is intended to prevent the duplication of state support and to ensure that assistance is provided to those who genuinely need it.

This information material has been produced as part of a project implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) with funding from the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the DRC. Neither the European Commission nor the DRC can be held responsible for the content of this material.