The UN Ukraine Winter Preparedness and Response Plan 2026–2027 calls for $358.4 million to support 2.1 million of the most vulnerable people across the period October 2026 – March 2027. The plan spans 13 humanitarian clusters and prioritises shelter, energy resilience, protection, and access to essential services. Shelter is among the top funding priorities as temperatures drop and energy infrastructure continues to face sustained attacks. The humanitarian community warns that without adequate winter response funding, families in damaged and destroyed homes — particularly in front-line regions — face severe risk. The plan was published on 22 July 2026.
Read full Winter PlanFunding earmarked for energy infrastructure protection works in the Mykolaiv region has been delayed until December 2026 at the earliest. The announcement raises concerns about preparedness heading into the heating season, as critical facilities — including residential buildings and district heating networks — remain exposed. Local authorities are seeking alternative interim solutions as autumn temperatures begin to fall in southern Ukraine.
At the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, an integrated housing package totalling over €351 million was announced: €100M EIB loan for social housing in five cities, €100M for the eRecovery programme, €80M in IDP housing vouchers, and €60M in preferential veteran mortgages. The package marks a significant step toward scaling affordable housing for IDPs and war-affected families across Ukraine.
Ukraine's Ministry of Infrastructure and the European Investment Bank confirmed a joint portfolio of €2.6 billion, including €130M disbursed in 2025 and €230M planned for 2026. Social housing sits alongside roads, water supply and energy efficiency as a top recovery priority. The meeting outlined a pipeline of projects to be mobilised under the Ukraine Plan framework.
Ukraine's Ministry of Social Policy and the European Investment Bank are developing a €100 million pilot social housing programme, supported by €6 million in technical assistance. The programme targets IDPs and vulnerable groups and draws on the Vienna model — where 70% of residents live in social housing. The initiative is intended as a scalable blueprint for a national social housing system.
Ukraine's Ministry of Development launched a pilot project to create a Municipal Rental Housing Fund, offering community-owned affordable rental housing to IDPs, veterans, families of fallen soldiers, teachers, and healthcare workers. Units are to be built within two years using EIB financing, with rents set below market rate. A nationwide rollout is planned following pilot evaluation.
A former kindergarten "Zirochka" in Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast — vacant for a decade — has been converted into 48 affordable apartments now housing approximately 150 internally displaced persons, 90% of whom are women and children. The 2,100 m² building underwent a 9-month renovation and now meets Energy Class B standard. Monthly rent ranges from €35 to €140. More than 20 donors contributed — including ADH, IKEA Foundation, Laudes Foundation, and Saint-Gobain. The project is a live proof-of-concept for Habitat for Humanity Ukraine's "Empty Spaces to Homes" model: a scalable, community-based approach to repurposing publicly owned vacant buildings as affordable social housing. The Kalush case is being studied as a replication blueprint for similar conversions across Ukraine under the new housing law framework.
Read full storyThe "Building Ukraine Together" initiative, implemented under the EU-funded U-LEAD with Europe programme, supports municipalities of up to 50,000 residents in identifying and repurposing abandoned or underused public buildings as housing for internally displaced persons. The programme — backed by the European Union and six EU member states — provides technical guidance, co-financing frameworks, and community engagement models for locally led renovation. Volunteer-driven approaches help communities take ownership of the process and enable replication across partner towns.
Ukraine's Ministry of Development and Habitat for Humanity Ukraine jointly launched the "Empty Spaces to Homes" (Порожні будівлі — для людей) initiative under Law #4080. A national inventory has identified over 3,000 vacant or underused public buildings. A pilot across 60–70 buildings in Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Poltava oblasts is assessing 10–15 structures for investment readiness. A digital registry of eligible buildings is planned for launch in October 2026, enabling municipalities and investors to identify conversion opportunities at scale.
The European Investment Bank announced a €50 million loan complemented by an EU grant for the construction of publicly owned, affordable, energy-efficient social and rental housing across Ukraine — targeting cities hosting large numbers of IDPs or directly affected by war. The initiative will be implemented in two phases: a pilot followed by scale-up. Announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, the commitment brings total EIB Group support to Ukraine to €4.5 billion since February 2022. Direct programmatic relevance for organisations working on municipal housing rehabilitation under Law No. 12377 and Resolution No. 495.
Read full announcementThe G7+ Energy Rammstein Group has been asked to consider priority needs amounting to €650 million through the Ukraine Energy Support Fund managed by the Energy Community Secretariat. Over the past four years, G7+ countries have channelled €1.95 billion through the Fund — all fully allocated. In 2026 alone, partners contributed over €300 million. The Fund is also expanding to include additional beneficiaries from the municipal sector, particularly in district heating, water supply, and wastewater services. Swift mobilisation before winter is critical.
Read joint callA working meeting between Ukraine's Deputy Minister Kozlovska and UNHCR Representative Castel-Hollingsworth focused on implementing Law No. 12377. Once in force, the government has six months to adopt subordinate legislation — around 70 regulatory acts must be amended. The Ministry has prepared an implementation plan and is drafting the necessary documents.
Resolution #723 expands grounds for refusing housing vouchers, transfers application review from oblast to municipal level, sets a 30-calendar-day review period, and introduces cross-verification between the registers of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Ministry of Justice. Deadline for certain notarial actions: 24 July 2026.
Law No. 12377 "On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy" — adopted in the second reading in January 2026 — replaces the 1983 Soviet Housing Code. Key provisions: social housing framework, new financial mechanisms for construction and purchase, digitalisation of processes, and priority for vulnerable groups including IDPs and persons with disabilities.