The role of social housing in restoring the country's economic potential and returning people from abroad
This was discussed at the Forbes Development: Foundation for Success” forum, which brought together leaders who are currently creating projects for the development of Ukraine. Builders, developers, architects, industrialists, financiers, and government officials discussed projects that create the basis for Ukraine's economic recovery.
As part of the discussion panel “Social Housing and Business. Fantasy or Reality”, Vadym Boichenko, Mayor of Mariupol, spoke about the experience of creating social housing for Mariupol residents as part of the Mariupol Reborn initiative. Thanks to international and Ukrainian partners, including the French Government, the International Organization for Migration, Proliska, UNHCR, Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, and Grohe, projects are already being implemented in Dnipro, Kyiv, and other cities of Ukraine.
In its work, the team is guided by the European approach to creating social/affordable housing, so it focuses on the models of Poland, the Netherlands, and France. All of them are united by the philosophy of human-centeredness: high-quality and affordable infrastructure is created around people and their needs.
The team believes that social/affordable housing is not about ghettos. It is about economically active people who influence the development of the country and create its economy. Therefore, in order to correctly calculate the economic model, it is necessary to understand who the housing is being built for and what financial opportunities these people have.
According to the State Statistics Service, the average salary in Ukraine is about UAH 22-25 thousand. Based on the European approach, for example, in the French city of Le Havre, the cost of renting a home should not exceed 30% of a family's income, which is when a person remains economically active. We understand that such projects are a joint responsibility of the state and local level
According to the mayor, in order to effectively create social housing in Ukraine, it is necessary to adopt a new housing policy, pass a law on social housing, and develop a financial model at the level of the National Bank. It is through this comprehensive approach that people can return to Ukraine and the economy can recover. Currently, according to the Ministry of Economy, Ukraine lacks at least 4 million people of working age.
Together with the Ministry of Reconstruction, Kyiv Regional State Administration and Vasylkiv municipality, we are currently building a pilot social/affordable housing facility. The project includes 10 new houses for more than 700 families in Mariupol
