Key points
- UNHCR is launching a housing rent compensation programme in 2026.
- The assistance is intended for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Ukrainians who have returned from abroad.
- The project will be implemented in five regions and in Kyiv.
- Payments cover rent for up to six months.
- A mandatory requirement is no previous participation in similar assistance programmes.
- Candidates must undergo selection and an interview before being included in the programme.
- Funds are transferred to the head of the household’s bank account.
In Ukraine, a cash assistance programme for housing rent has been launched for 2026, implemented by UNHCR in partnership with the charitable foundation “Right to Protection”.
The initiative will operate in Kyiv and the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad and Poltava regions.
The programme is designed to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) who left their homes after 24 February 2022, as well as Ukrainians who have returned from abroad and do not have stable housing.
The assistance provides compensation for housing rent for up to 6 months.
Applications are open to households – meaning families or people living together and sharing a common household. These include:
- IDPs who relocated more than 6 months ago;
- evacuated individuals who relocated less than 6 months ago due to safety threats, including from temporarily occupied territories, areas near the frontline, or active conflict zones;
- people who returned to Ukraine less than 1 year ago after being forced to leave abroad following 24 February 2022, and who do not have their own housing, or whose housing is located in temporarily occupied territories or conflict zones, or is damaged, destroyed, or unfit for living.
The programme also includes people currently living in:
- temporary accommodation sites (TAS) – such as modular towns or adapted facilities including schools, kindergartens, or hospitals;
- rented housing, but with a risk of losing it – for example due to financial difficulties, sudden rent increases, or if the owner plans to sell the property or house other tenants;
- rented housing with inadequate living conditions – such as overcrowding, lack of access to water, electricity, heating or sewage systems, or housing that is unsafe, dilapidated or unfit for normal living.
An important condition is that applicants must not have previously participated in similar housing rent assistance programmes since 2022.
After the programme ends, participants must be able to cover their housing costs independently. To achieve this, they are required to have a clear 6-month plan aimed at financial stability, which may include employment, education, upskilling, or starting a business.
If relocation is required, the household must independently find housing and pay the first 2 months of rent, which are later reimbursed under the programme.
After submitting an application, candidates’ data is reviewed, and if they meet the programme criteria, they are invited for an interview. The final decision on participation is made after the interview.
Payments are made to the bank account of the head of the household.
You can apply to take part in the programme via the link.
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