Ukraine continues to face major structural challenges in its housing sector, including an aging housing stock, a shortage of social and affordable housing, and a lack of regulation in the rental market, Mariana Voita, Deputy Head of the UN-Habitat Country Programme in Ukraine, said during WUF13 in Baku.
Speaking at the forum, Voita said Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has triggered mass internal displacement and intensified the country’s housing crisis, Caliber.Az reports via local media.
“Despite the return of some people over the past year and a half, there are still approximately 4.7 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine and approximately 6 million Ukrainians registered as refugees abroad,” the UN-Habitat representative said.
She noted that the most extensive destruction has been recorded in eastern Ukraine, as well as in areas surrounding Kyiv.
According to Voita, many Ukrainians are trying to remain as close as possible to their homes despite ongoing shelling and security risks.
Highlighting the scale of the devastation, she pointed to Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where around 50% of the housing stock has been damaged or destroyed.
“After the outbreak of full-scale war, Kharkiv's population declined sharply, but today the city is once again hosting a large number of internally displaced persons,” she said.
Voita also stated that approximately 14% of Ukraine’s housing stock has been damaged since the beginning of the war.
According to her, the right to housing goes beyond simply owning a home and also includes access to services, infrastructure, and a safe urban environment.
“We collaborate with municipalities, helping with recovery planning and identifying priority areas for redevelopment,” she added.
By Vafa Guliyeva
