Ukraine and Japan strengthen cooperation in housing policy

The development of housing policy and implementation of pilot social housing projects were discussed at a meeting of Minregion and JICA with representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on World Habitat Day.

The meeting was the next step in work begun during a visit by the Ukrainian delegation to Tokyo.

“Ukraine is developing a new housing policy, and it is important for us to work simultaneously on new rules and their practical application. This concerns the development of social housing, restoration of the housing stock and support for communities in reconstruction. Japan has considerable experience in these areas, which is why we are interested in JICA’s support — from preparing regulatory solutions to implementing specific projects in communities,” said Deputy Minister Nataliia Kozlovska.

JICA’s technical assistance is expected to support the new housing policy and preparation of pilot social housing projects.

Six promising communities have so far been identified, including in Lviv and Kyiv regions. JICA will assess their needs, capacity and readiness to implement and manage such projects. The results will determine the next steps and approaches to financing.

Building a coalition of social housing partners around specific projects is a separate important topic. Minregion expects Japan and other partners to join this work.

The participants also discussed the mechanism for selecting communities for pilot social housing projects, including Ukraine’s experience of cooperation with the European Investment Bank, under which communities submit proposals to an open competition. This makes it possible to assess their needs and capacity and identify the projects most ready for implementation.

We thank the people and Government of Japan for their consistent support for Ukraine.