A home for those who need it: ten principles for creating new social housing in Ukraine

Social housing is key to the future of Ukraine, because proper housing is a need for every person. What should it be? Decent for the people who will live in it, provide a basic level of comfort and security, be adapted for long-term residence. And also be integrated into the city and open up opportunities: for education and work, development and interaction.

All these requirements should form the basis of social housing in Ukraine, which has yet to be created.

Social housing in Ukraine: opportunities that don't exist

Today, Ukraine does not have a social housing system that would provide affordable and long-term housing for those who need it. And this is a serious issue in light of the full-scale war. In recent years, thousands of people have lost their homes: some have moved to other Ukrainian cities, some abroad. At least 1,42 million internally displaced persons are in need of shelter — about this it is noted in the report “Rebuilding a Place to Call Home: The Role of Land Policy in (Post-)War Ukraine.”

Without support mechanisms and affordable housing, many Ukrainians simply cannot stay in their country — or return to it. Of course, this is a strategic challenge for Ukraine: citizens’ choice to live here means preserving the workforce and developing the economy. But first and foremost, it is a matter of people — and homes for them.

“12 million Ukrainians are not just statistics, but real families who lost their homes due to the war. Of these, 5 million are internally displaced persons, another 7 million are refugees abroad. Among Mariupol residents alone, at least 200 thousand people were left homeless. They, like residents of other affected communities, are waiting for concrete actions. Therefore, the answer to people's needs is the creation of modern and comfortable social housing according to the best European standards. It should not be just a temporary shelter, but a solid foundation for a new life. This requires a clear vision and a nationwide strategy”, — notes the mayor of Mariupol, Vadym Boychenko.

He emphasizes: currently 85% of internally displaced persons indicate that the housing issue is crucial for them. 

System solution: a new standard of social housing in Ukraine

There is still no comprehensive social housing program at the state level. Individual initiatives do not provide a systemic solution that would ensure a sustainable, long-term model of affordable housing. That is why, under the initiative Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko within the framework of the Mariupol Reborn project, The teams of the urban bureau Big City Lab, the architectural bureau PUPA, and the consulting company Civitta developed a concept for social housing.

“The realities of a full-scale war scattered millions of people across Ukraine, knocked support out from under their feet, and deprived them of resilience. And although people are capable of rapid adaptation, in order to move on, they need to provide for their basic needs. When we created Mariupol Reborn, our primary concern was to preserve the community in resettlement. We talked a lot with Mariupol residents, and even then we heard that one of the biggest requests was a housing program. Not some time in the distant future, but now. The idea of ​​creating social housing responds to several requests at once. First, it is fast. The state machine itself is built on long-term mechanisms. But when business, international partners, and municipalities are involved, it significantly accelerates the movement. Second, it is the embodiment of justice, because people feel that they have not been forgotten, they are helped to adapt, and are not left alone with their losses. And third, it keeps the community together. This is important in in the context of belief in the deoccupation of cities, and it is important for the people themselves, because when you live next to acquaintances, fellow countrymen, former neighbors, it gives an additional sense of home, involvement and mutual support”, – Natalia Yemchenko, member of the supervisory board of the NGO “Mariupol.Reborn”, communications director of SCM.

The model they are working on will be a solution not only for Mariupol: it can be implemented throughout Ukraine. Victoria Titova, CEO of the urban bureau Big City Lab, notes: it was important for the team to understand not only how to build social housing, but also how to fit it into any space, how to make it financially affordable for implementation, rental and operation. So, in addition to construction technologies, they studied housing policy in Ukraine: from Soviet times to the present. And also - international experience.

"We studied the policies of the Netherlands and Austria, countries with the most successful social housing systems. At the same time, we studied the experience of Germany, Great Britain, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, because they built housing on a massive scale after the Second World War and the Yugoslav Wars. We also analyzed Poland, because, like Ukraine, it is a state with a communist past that is currently developing a social housing system.”, — says Victoria Titova.

Any model is based on principles that determine both its content and implementation. Thus, the concept of social housing in Ukraine is based on ten key principles.

Ten principles for creating new social housing in Ukraine

Social housing should provide a basic level of comfort: from inclusive infrastructure to convenient layout of an apartment or house. The neighborhoods should provide social services: children's rooms, co-working spaces and common spaces for meeting people. People should not feel like temporary residents, but have a sense of home and belonging to the community.

“We are not just working on another residential building project: we are working on creating a quality of life. This means that residents have access to various social services necessary for comfortable living: children's rooms, co-working spaces, meeting places, access to educational and medical services. Most of the planned development is 4-6-story, as was the case in Mariupol. This height is comfortable for a person, does not create pressure. All this makes people feel like they are at home,” explains Viktoriya Titova.

The social housing model involves long-term leases with the potential for purchase. The cost of construction should be optimal, and the technologies should be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Buildings should be equipped with renewable energy sources, which will help reduce maintenance costs. This will allow for low rent and utility bills. Such housing will be accessible to vulnerable groups of the population who have lost their own homes and are in need of a home.

“Currently, only 5% of IDPs in Ukraine are provided with social housing, and 67% of IDPs spend more than 50% of their family income on rent. We want to change this statistic. To expand state assistance to people, using the experience of Europe for this. There, families spend half as much on rent. Housing should be truly affordable for IDPs. The cost of rent and utilities should be affordable for every family. It is important for people who are forced to start life from scratch to feel financial stability,” emphasizes Vadym Boychenko, Mayor of Mariupol.

Social housing should be easy to build, and engineering and architectural solutions should focus on quality and durability. Housing is created according to the principle of quarter-scale development, and buildings have no more than 4-9 floors. Thoughtful facade designs, color and decorative solutions, and basic renovation of premises are important. A green and multifunctional adjacent area creates an environment in which it is pleasant to live. Social housing should not be synonymous with monotonous gray boxes.

“We analyzed various construction technologies in order to choose a balance between the quality of materials and technological engineering solutions — and the cost of construction. Because we want to create not a temporary dwelling, but a full-fledged, comfortable and high-quality housing,” says Victoria Titova.

Social housing should be created based on the needs of future residents. The planning of apartments and houses takes into account everything for a comfortable life: from the optimal area of ​​​​the apartment to the location of sinks and sockets. The project is not tied to a specific location: it is easily adapted to any land plot and is scalable at the national level.

“Social housing will be built in different cities across the country. Accordingly, the architectural and urban model of social housing must be adaptive. It must not be just a residential quarter that will be copied. We are developing a certain logic of urban space that can be adapted to different areas of different cities — regardless of their shape, landscape, or parameters,” adds Viktoriya Titova.

The system for distributing social housing should be transparent. Priority should be given to those applicants who need it the most. The distribution process should be open and understandable to everyone, with clear criteria and without corruption risks. A points system has been developed that allows for a fair distribution of social housing.

"Housing should be provided to those who really need it. A transparent distribution system without pitfalls has already been created, where priority is given to military families, large families, and people who have lost everything. Everyone should be sure that housing is provided fairly," explains Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko.

Social housing should be built in a populated area, which will provide an opportunity to interact with other people and provide an infrastructure that will cover all the needs of residents. Hospitals and shops, kindergartens and schools, parks and cultural institutions should be located here. The first floors of the buildings are designed for commercial and social premises. The area should be connected to other parts of the city by a convenient transport network. People should feel connected to what is happening around.

“These buildings are part of the city, not a separate island. They should be located in areas with developed infrastructure so that people can live a full life: work, study, receive medical care, and be part of the community,” says the mayor of Mariupol.

Social housing remains a shared resource, so a responsible attitude to it is a guarantee of its quality and durability. Residents should perceive social housing not as a temporary stopover, but as their own home, which is worth taking care of.

“We want social housing to not only provide a roof over our heads, but also form a responsible community where people care about each other and their homes. A sense of unity and cohesion is important here, which helps restore what was lost and move forward together,” emphasizes Vadym Boychenko.

Social housing must ensure the physical and social safety of residents. The building area must be sufficiently lit, and common spaces must be located in visible and accessible places. Buildings must have shelter, be built of fire-resistant materials, and be equipped with alarms, including both audible and visual signals. And the premises must be located so that in the event of an emergency there is a possibility of rapid evacuation.

“Security is not just about locks on the entrance to the entrance, for example. It is also about well-thought-out infrastructure. "We take into account the lighting of the territory, we place common spaces in visible and accessible places. And in the conditions of the ongoing war, the creation of inclusive dual-purpose shelters is also key," notes Viktoriya Titova.

Social housing is a tool for integration and interaction. Its goal is to create mixed, active communities, rather than segregating people into groups. The system should offer different types of apartments and houses, which will allow meeting the needs of different categories of residents. It is important to provide both compact options for those who live alone and more spacious housing options for large families. This approach ensures that everyone can find housing that meets his or her requirements.

“Each person has their own story and their own needs. Social housing should be designed for both large families and those who need inclusive housing. It is important that everyone finds their own comfortable space for life and development,” adds Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko.

Social housing should be accessible to people with disabilities, veterans, and people with limited mobility. This means standard ramps, elevators, wide doorways, and tactile navigation elements. Both the building's grounds and the layout of the apartment or house should be accessible.

“M"We will design social housing according to the principles of universal design, so that apartments and houses are as comfortable as possible for all residents. Thanks to this, for example, ramps will not be needed at all, because the floors of all rooms will be on the same level, without thresholds. Sufficiently wide elevators are planned - in particular, to go down to the shelter. And on the lower floors there will be apartments with increased accessibility - for example, for the elderly or people with disabilities, so that they have less to climb," explains the CEO of the urban bureau Big City Lab.

The project was implemented at the initiative of the Mayor of Mariupol Vadym Boychenko within the framework of the Mariupol Reborn project. The concept of social housing was developed by the urban bureau Big City Lab in partnership with the architectural bureau PUPA and the consulting company Civitta. Illustrations of the principles of social housing were created by Nato Mikeladze.

 

The main photo is the Urbanplanen social housing complex in the Vest-Amar district, Copenhagen.