MinRehion and IOM will assess the needs of communities that are hosting displaced persons and identify priorities for securing additional support ahead of winter.

This topic was discussed at a meeting between Minister Vitalii Bezgin and the team from the International Organisation for Migration in Ukraine.

The parties also discussed housing solutions for IDPs, the provision of accommodation for those evacuated from frontline areas, and the development of a geoinformation system for regional development.

‘Housing for displaced persons is one of the most challenging issues. We want to address it through different support mechanisms, including a new social housing system that will provide affordable rent for IDPs as well. At the same time, the integration of people takes place in communities, so we envisage cooperation with the IOM to provide communities with ready-made solutions for housing construction and data that will help them understand how many people they will be hosting and what those people need,’ emphasised Vitalii Bezgin.

The parties will explore the possibility of extending to other communities the solutions that the IOM has already implemented in nine pilot communities. These involve the renovation of dilapidated housing stock and the construction of modular housing. The IOM has confirmed its commitment to providing technical support to the Ministry.

The assessment of community needs should help to identify priorities for attracting additional support. This is particularly important given that attacks on the power grid could force even more people to leave their homes.

The Ministry also submitted a separate request for the establishment of transit centres and temporary accommodation for people evacuated from frontline territories. Support will also be sought for the “The State is Nearby” programmes.

The parties discussed the development of a geoinformation system for regional development. Its aim is to bring together data, analytics and digital tools so that the state can identify the needs of communities and regions, forecast their development, allocate resources effectively, and evaluate the outcomes of decisions.

The regional development GIS, DREAM and the urban planning cadastre are set to become part of this ecosystem.