After four years of full-scale war, more than 4.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been officially registered in Ukraine. The state has launched housing programs and is transferring properties for displaced people. However, some ready-to-use buildings and apartments remain unoccupied. People stand in queues and cannot access housing.
“After four years of full-scale war in Ukraine, more than 4.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been officially registered, having lost their homes due to hostilities… However, in practice, many completed buildings remain empty because displaced people are simply not allowed to move in,” reports Humanitarian Media Hub.
The problem arises at the stage of housing allocation. In different regions, completed facilities stand empty for months. In the Lviv region, people waited more than half a year for settlement due to the absence of approved lists. In Dnipro, delays were explained by paperwork and utility connections. In the Kyiv region, the process was halted by new rules and additional documentation requirements.
Some cases are particularly striking. In Zakarpattia region, a 100-bed facility was not included in official registers as “ready.” It remained empty despite being fully equipped. Earlier, a similar building in the same community had been leased commercially instead of housing IDPs. The ombudsman intervened and demanded that people be settled.
Queues for social housing are not moving. Commissions operate without transparency. Some communities do not publish waiting lists. People cannot find out their position in the queue. In Kharkiv, dozens of apartments remained empty due to prolonged procedures. Formal checks also create barriers and remove people from the lists.
Most displaced people are forced to rent housing. Prices are rising, while compensation does not cover costs. Some landlords refuse IDPs or treat them with bias. As a result, there is a gap between official reports and reality. Housing exists, but access to it does not.
