Five Ukrainian communities have won a competitive selection to participate in a pilot project to build social housing for internally displaced people and other privileged categories of the population. The list of those selected includes Lviv, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kremenchuk and Kropyvnytskyi.

This was reported by Khmarochos. The initiative involves the creation of a new housing stock with the support of international financial institutions and European partners.

The total cost of the project is 100 million euros. Financing is provided jointly by the European Investment Bank and the European Commission: half of the amount is provided in the form of a non-refundable grant, while the other half is provided in the form of a 30-year loan with a 10-year grace period. Currently, the selected cities are awaiting final approval of the projects by the Ministry of Finance.

The constructed housing will remain exclusively in the communal ownership of the communities. It is prohibited to privatize or resell it, and the apartments will be provided for preferential rent at prices significantly lower than market prices. Priority categories for settlement have been identified as IDPs, veterans, large families, people with disabilities, and critical infrastructure workers.

Mandatory standards for new housing have been separately defined: apartments must be fully furnished and equipped with household appliances. This should ensure the possibility of quick settlement without additional costs for residents.

A total of 25 communities from different regions of Ukraine submitted applications for participation in the competition. The selection was carried out according to 16 criteria, among which the readiness of the land plot, its infrastructure and the financial participation of the community in the project were of key importance.

In particular, priority was given to plots of land with an area of ​​​​over 1 hectare with existing or close communications - up to 200 meters to the connection of electricity, water and gas supplies. The “500-meter rule” was also applied: housing had to be located within a radius of no more than 500 meters from schools, kindergartens, hospitals and public transport stops. A mandatory condition was the co-financing by communities of no less than 10% of the construction cost from local budgets or donor funds.

Each of the winning cities presented its own concept for the implementation of the project. In Kremenchuk, they plan to build the largest complex - a block of 29 nine-story buildings with 1,024 apartments. In Mykolaiv, it is planned to build two 10-story buildings with approximately 300 apartments with a rental model that takes into account residents' incomes and partial involvement of a commercial component for the maintenance of the fund.

Zhytomyr plans to build one large 9-story residential complex for 216 apartments with a mechanism for self-regulation of affordable rents. Lviv and Kropyvnytskyi, in turn, will begin preparations for the construction of municipal facilities under reuse projects, which will reduce costs and accelerate the implementation of the program.