Free housing for IDPs: online registry with photos and applications to be launched
7 July 2025 13:56
Ukraine is preparing to launch a new online register of housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs). It will be part of a large-scale inventory of state and municipal real estate that is underway across the country. This register will allow IDPs to choose affordable housing on their own: view photos, assess the technical condition of the property and apply for accommodation – all online. This was stated by Pavlo Frolov, MP of Ukraine, chairman of the Temporary Special Commission of the Verkhovna Rada on the protection of IDPs’ rights, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
He noted that the goal of the initiative is to find out the full extent of the state’s resources and make the process of housing distribution transparent and accessible to IDPs.
How the mechanism will work
The inventory process involves several stages:
- Coordination commissions have already been set up in all regions to collect and systematize data on all state and municipal property.
- The information will then be distributed to district commissions, which will visit the sites to assess the technical condition of each object and take photos. They will determine whether the housing needs reconstruction or re-equipment and what investments are required.
- Subsequently, the inspection reports will be returned to the regional level, where the data will be uploaded to a special website. The register will be created in the form of an interactive map where IDPs will be able to choose an object and apply for accommodation.
According to Pavlo Frolov, the Regulation on the Housing Information and Analytical System is yet to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
What will be included in the system
“We are talking about various real estate objects, including dormitories, residential and non-residential premises, camps, recreation centers, sanatoriums, and even vacant land plots. It is very promising, because sometimes it is much more expensive to restore an abandoned building that has not been used for a long time than to build new modern ecological inclusive housing on a free plot,” says Pavlo Frolov, according to the Veteran information portal.
The system should include all municipal and state-owned real estate, including administrative buildings and offices of enterprises that are no longer in use. Also, with the consent of the owners, private properties will be able to be added to the list. This is possible, for example, in the case of unfinished buildings that have been standing for many years and do not have the resources to complete construction. Such buildings are proposed to be completed with the participation of the state or international organizations.
“It will be clear how many applications there are, how much investment is needed, everything will be transparent and open. When the initiative is launched, it will be much easier for communities to attract investments from international humanitarian organizations to complete and bring the housing into proper condition and hand it over to people,” says Pavlo Frolov.
The exact date of launching the IDP Housing Register is not yet known, but the IDP Protection Commission hopes that it will happen in the coming months.
It should be noted that inspections of internally displaced persons will start in July. Starting from July 1, the Ministry of Finance will monitor whether IDPs have been abroad for more than 90 days. In some cases, this fact may be the basis for revoking the IDP status.
