Draft of new Housing Code nears approval – Head of Parliamentary Committee

Olena Shuliak, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the Organization of State Power, Regional Development, Local Self-Government, and Urban Planning, and head of the political party Servant of the People, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

“In 2023, the Ministry of Restoration established an informal housing coalition, bringing together representatives from international organizations, the Council of Europe, and Ukrainian experts. The goal is to develop new legislation to replace the outdated housing code,” she explained.

Shuliak emphasized that current legislation does not effectively solve housing problems.

“The Ministry, through the housing coalition, has developed a bill to replace the outdated code. This document, titled ‘On the Principles of Housing Policy,’ introduces new principles adapted from the European Union’s experience,” she noted.

The Committee Head clarified that the draft law envisions the development of social and municipal housing in Ukraine, as well as the involvement of private operators in affordable housing initiatives — opportunities previously not realized in the country.

“After public consultations, we compiled all proposals and forwarded them to the Ministry of Restoration, which has received input from other ministries and is currently reviewing it. The project is now being prepared for approval at a government meeting,” Shuliak added.

She expressed her hopes that parliament will receive the draft soon, adding, “I hope we can vote unanimously on it, as it is essential to overhaul Ukraine’s outdated housing policy.”

Shuliak stressed that passing the law would be a breakthrough for Ukraine’s housing sector, transforming policies that have remained unchanged for decades.

“Today’s challenges, including those resulting from the full-scale invasion, along with opportunities presented by Ukraine’s European integration, provide the ideal conditions to update our housing legislation to meet modern European standards,” she concluded.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, around 60 million square meters of housing have been destroyed or significantly damaged due to Russian aggression.