The housing crisis in the midst of the war

1. Individual shelters

Since the first day of the war, Ukrainians have been leaving hot cities to safer regions of the country to relatives or friends, so one of the fastest solutions for migrants has become individual shelters. The great advantage of this solution is that newcomers are not isolated, they are involved in families or communities, have access to local services, sources of information.

Although the war has been going on for more than 3 months, the system of individual shelters still works. There is an excess housing stock in cities and villages and the state encourages the transfer of these square meters to those in need. Families who accept migrants free of charge or give them their own housing are entitled to a small monetary compensation. Now it's 400 UAH (about $12) per month per person, and that's not enough. The reward, as in some European countries, can also be a reduction in taxes, or even an exemption from them for a while. In this case, we are talking about compensation for free accommodation, and not coverage of market rent. Such an option of state support for displaced persons in Ukraine is not yet being considered, although it is progressive and sustainable, it can help make the rental market more affordable.

2. Shelters in social infrastructure institutions

The following were temporary shelters at railway stations, schools, kindergartens, sanatoriums and other institutions of social infrastructure. They have large rooms and can accommodate many people. In addition, there are often cellars or minimally equipped bomb shelters. Such solutions are important because they meet the needs of housing in the short term. However, their relevance is gradually declining as more and more people whose homes have survived are returning home. It is also worth remembering that children need to learn, families with preschoolers need kindergartens. Therefore, schools, kindergartens and other facilities should return to their basic functions. But in the event of a new wave of escalation of war, they should be ready to become shelters again.

Among the many examples of use for sheltering large premises of social infrastructure, Urban Camp, created on the model of a paper partition system, is notable. In addition to the emphasis on privacy, the organizers of the shelter also take care of social cohesion and the quality of the public space for guests.
In places where there are no longer free spaces, but they are necessary, tents or railway cars can become temporary shelters. Such decisions have already been implemented in Irpen in Kyiv region and they are relevant for the liberated territories. That is, where it is necessary to ensure the rapid return of people even before the final repair of their homes. Rescuers, builders, or other workers can also temporarily live in such shelters.

It is important to find large short-term shelters in logistics hubs: at border crossing points, in cities where many migrants arrive.

3. Containers and prefabricated houses

If you follow the messages in the media, you can get the impression that the authorities are only doing what opens container towns. Looking ahead, let's say that such towns are good, especially since Ukraine mostly receives them for free. However, it is important to use containers by appointment: as short-term housing for crisis situations.

Such decisions have been implemented in Ukraine since 2014: after the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the war in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Then container towns were arranged in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kamensky, Kryvyi Rih, Nikopol and Pavlograd. It was assumed that no longer than six months. However, eight years have passed, and about 2000 people still live there. People have nowhere to go: their homes are under occupation, and the state has not offered another affordable housing option.

Container towns are not designed for long-term living due to the small area, insufficient ventilation and noise insulation, which makes life difficult for neighbors. Municipalities are ready to close these towns, but residents are against, although they do not consider their conditions comfortable.

Prefabricated plastic houses in Ukraine are not common. Only used pointwise, for example in Bucha. However, this is a good quick-response solution for estate development: the family lives in a prefabricated house and at the same time repairs the main house. In addition, such a house, if necessary, can be reassembled in a new place

4. Dormitories and modular housing

Projects for the restoration of old dormitories and the construction of modular housing are important. Both options work in the medium term and can help people who have lost their homes and are not yet ready to return to their region. After the war, such hostels and houses can become social housing in the city administration.

A vivid example is the SO-HATY project in Ivano-Frankivsk, which consists in the restoration of hostels and other free spaces of the city. Future residents are involved in the creation of a housing management model, and in the repair work itself. It gives them a sense of involvement, promotes integration with the community.
A number of good solutions for solving the housing crisis are offered by architectural bureaus and providers of modular housing made of wood and panels: for example, Your house in Ukraine from GRIM, Ecopan, Oselya.

In recent years, many suburban hotels and townhouse towns have developed in Ukraine, which have become a laboratory for testing fast and relatively inexpensive construction. The clear advantages of such solutions are comfort and a sufficient amount of individual space, environmentally friendly technologies, flexible general and interior planning, speed of installation and a relatively long service life: 10-50 years. Yes, this is not cheap, the cost of equipped housing ranges from 600 to 1000 USD/m2.

Modular housing has great prospects, but you need to think about how to reduce its cost and how to provide bomb shelters or armored rooms. In addition, with modular towns, it is necessary to immediately plan the creation of educational and public centers, where there will be a school, cultural events will take place, public meetings

5. New housing, in the center of which there is a person

At the level of the Office of the President of Ukraine and regional military administrations, the possibility of buying ready-made housing from developers is being discussed in order to provide it to people who have lost their homes. There is also the rapid completion of unfinished buildings and new capital construction in safer regions of the country, home to about 6 million internally displaced people. The term of implementation of these decisions is from six months to one year. In our opinion, this is the right strategy, but it is necessary to analyze which housing can be most effectively used for the current needs. Also, when designing new housing, special attention should be paid to the quality of walls, bomb shelters and other engineering solutions, take into account access to transport and social infrastructure.

Due to Russia's attack on Ukraine, approximately one in four residents or residents of Ukraine had to leave their homes. At the same time, people are returning home from abroad and other regions of the country, although the war is still ongoing. To respond effectively to the challenges of migration, to understand where and how much to build or buy housing, regular comprehensive studies are needed. It must be remembered that every crisis is a growth point. We can use the present to further create comfortable living environments, in the center of which is the human

Temporary shelters

Stations, sanatoriums, gyms, schools, wagons, tents.

Pros:

• Effective in the fast response phase
• Designed for a short stay, stop, rest.
• They can be located in logistics hubs, construction sites.
• Quickly settle.

Cons:

• A minimum of privacy.
• It is necessary to rotate people and direct them to longer-lasting alternatives.

Medium-term housing

Dormitories, modular houses/towns

Pros:

• 6 Months+
• Better privacy compared to containers
• Better quality of materials — better quality of life
• Potential for the development of a culture of cohabitation, decision-making
• The possibility of simple animation
• Creation of jobs in construction
• Wide range of solutions for modular construction, speed

Cons:

• The financial model and the retention model requires research and the proposal of options
• The need to decide carefully about the places of creation of new towns — not to build in the field
• It is necessary to invest not only in housing, but also in social infrastructure and transport links.
• High cost

Permanent housing

Purchase of unfinished or finished housing, new construction

Pros:

• Now is the stage of planning and finding financial and organizational solutions.
• The focus is on safe regions and regions where most migrants have arrived.
• A sustainable solution is to inspect already built, but not sold housing.
• Special attention is paid to the quality of walls, bomb shelters and other engineering solutions.
• Regaining control of their lives and planning horizons for people who have lost their home.

Cons:

• The horizon of incarnation is longer — approximately from 6 months to 1 year.

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Conclusions and Future Focuses of Attention

• Solutions for providing housing for 3 months of response are quite diverse and complement each other. Shelters, temporary and medium-term, as well as permanent housing — all these solutions are effective in their field and at their stage, and cannot be interchangeable.

• It is necessary to update and take into account the experience of providing housing for displaced persons in 2014, so as not to repeat mistakes.


• The issues of financing and management model, reasonable spatial placement of new housing, the possibility of early involvement of future residents in the design, construction and management of housing through cooperative or other forms, long-term transformations in the housing policy of Ukraine should be further explored in the next phase of response and correlated with the legislation currently being developed.


• In order to respond intelligently and reasonably to the challenges of migration and to have a holistic vision of where and how much to build or buy up housing, comprehensive regular research on people's intentions to return and resume economic life after war and a strategic approach to planning is required.