Adequate accommodation is an essential foundation for social and economic wellbeing at the best of times, but when war directly impacts neighbourhoods as it has done in Ukraine, it’s vital that housing lie at the heart of recovery plans, a new report has found.
A sound concept for affordable housing established early in Ukraine’s recovery process can sustain long lasting economic and social development and also build on Europe’s best practices, a new report says.
According to the authors of Ukraine’s housing recovery requires a well-designed capital investment strategy, published by Housing Finance International, future efforts to rebuild the country present the opportunity to address both housing needs and energy efficiency, while building on community solidarity.
The report’s authors are RMIT Associate Professor Julie Lawson and the European Investment Bank’s Grzegorz Gajda.
Lawson, an Associate Professor with RMIT’s Centre for Urban Research, said that even before the war, Ukraine’s housing system was failing to deliver affordability, comfort and energy efficiency for many households.
“With over 40% of the material damage from the war being residential structures, a new vision and pathway to repair and rebuild damaged homes will need to be established,” she said.
“But for international donors, just providing recovery funds without a plan for housing reform means exacerbating problems which have plagued Ukrainian cities in the recent past.
“If we want Ukrainians to return, every effort must be made to improve housing conditions and tackle the challenges that existed before the war,” Lawson said.
A safe, secure and adequate home and neighbourhood will bring Ukrainians back – and underpin the country’s economic recovery.
