From 5 to 7 August 2026, an off-site meeting of the Working Group on the development of the Draft Law of Ukraine “On Social Housing” took place in Lviv.
The meeting brought together representatives of national authorities, local self-government, international organisations, the expert community and civil society to discuss the key provisions of the future law and develop practical solutions for establishing an effective social housing system in Ukraine.
Vitalii Bezghin, Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, stressed the importance of continuing Ukraine’s housing reform including the adoption of the Draft Law of Ukraine “On Social Housing” following inclusive professional and public consultations.
Olena Shuliak, Member of Parliament of Ukraine, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the Organization of the State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, underlined that the objective is not merely to establish a legislative framework, but to create an effective mechanism that enables people to address their housing needs in practice.
Addressing the meeting, Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, emphasised that the draft law should introduce a human rights centred approach to housing and build an institutional framework capable of ensuring the effective implementation of the right to adequate housing.
In subsequent sessions, participants discussed in break out groups several topics put forward by members of the Working Group including the social housing model, the role of social housing operators, financing mechanisms, the responsibilities of local self-government bodies, and the establishment of a sustainable social housing stock. European standards and practical experience in developing social housing systems were also explored with the view of adapting advanced European standards with Ukraine’s specific situation and challenges.
The experience of the three-day off-site meeting demonstrated the value and effectiveness of participatory legislative drafting. The proposals and recommendations developed by the Working Group will serve as a basis for the further refinement of the Draft Law of Ukraine “On Social Housing”.
The Council of Europe will continue to support Ukraine in advancing its housing reform by providing legal and policy expertise, promoting alignment with Council of Europe standards and facilitating dialogue among all relevant stakeholders.
This event was organised by the Ministry for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine with the support of the Council of Europe Project “Facilitating housing solutions for the war-affected people in Ukraine. Phase II”, implemented under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.
