On 7 December the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine” in cooperation with Dnipropetrovsk regional state administration organized a round table “Human rights protection of internally displaced persons: regional policies and practices on housing solutions”.
Opening the round table, Sergei Bazarya, Coordinator of the Action Plan for Ukraine, Office of the Directorate General of Programmes, emphasized that promoting practical mechanisms for ensuring the rights of IDPs, in particular, discovering durable solutions to facilitate access to existing housing programs, is one of the priorities of the Project.
During the event, representatives of regional and local authorities, international organizations, the State Fund for Youth Housing Assistance, leaders of civil society and the Project experts had an opportunity to discuss European standards and international experience in improving access to adequate housing for internally displaced persons and to reflect on national legislative initiatives and regional opportunities for the provision of housing rights for IDPs in Ukraine and in Dnipropetrovsk region, in particular.
According to the Counselor of the Head of Dnipropetrovsk State Regional Administration Vitaliy Lytvyn, the issue of ensuring the housing rights of IDPs should be tackled in a complex with other types of IDPs’ rights often violated.
He also stressed the need to have a strategy, program and action plan for ensuring housing for IDPs at the national level, to be approved by the relevant central authorities. Then, relevant initiatives should be implemented through regional programs and action plans.
During discussions participants emphasized on the need to create a register of internally displaced persons who are entitled to improvement of living conditions, on the importance of providing state support for the reimbursement of the cost of housing construction and the provision of preferential mortgage loans for housing.
Representatives of the State Fund for Youth Housing Assistance informed participants on existing state programs and their benefits for different target groups.
By this expert round table the Project “Strengthening the Human Rights Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine” has finalized its implementation in Dnipropetrovsk region.