Minregion and IOM to strengthen support for IDPs: housing solutions and preparing communities for winter

Vitalii Bezghin met the International Organization for Migration team in Ukraine. This was one of Minregion’s first meetings as the body responsible for IDP support policy, and with a partner that has many years of experience in this area. They therefore discussed the main issue: how to provide people with homes and help the communities hosting them.

“Housing for displaced people is one of the most difficult issues. We want to address it through various support mechanisms, including a new social housing system that will provide affordable rental housing for IDPs. At the same time, people integrate in communities, so we see cooperation with IOM as a way to give communities ready housing construction solutions and data that will help them understand how many people they will host and what they need,” Vitalii Bezghin emphasised.

What we agreed.

Housing. We will examine how to scale up to other communities the housing solutions IOM has already tested in nine pilot communities: renovating outdated housing stock and setting up modular housing. IOM confirmed its readiness to provide technical support to the ministry.

Winter. We will assess the needs of communities hosting displaced people and identify priorities for attracting additional support. This is particularly important because attacks on the energy system could force even more people from their homes. Separately, we requested assistance with setting up transit centres and temporary accommodation for people evacuated from frontline areas. We will also seek support for the “The State Is Near” programmes.

Data. We will develop the regional development geographic information system. The task is to combine data, analytics and modern digital tools so that the state can see the real problems facing communities and regions, forecast development, allocate resources effectively and evaluate the results of its decisions. The regional development GIS, DREAM and the urban planning cadastre should become parts of this ecosystem.

We thank the International Organization for Migration in Ukraine for its partnership!