Creating home for those who need it most

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko presented a concept for affordable social housing, developed in collaboration with the Big City Lab urban bureau. He also announced the first pilot project: a residential neighbourhood in Bila Tserkva. The presentation took place at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.

The concept was developed by the order of the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, which is the initiator and key partner in the implementation of the housing project. The Mariupol City Council team is now actively looking for partners to scale up the project so that as many displaced persons as possible can receive comfortable and high-quality social housing.
What the model implies:  

- affordable and fair rent — about 5,000 UAH (no more than 30% of average income);
- principles of accessibility and human-centredness;
- housing that is easily adaptable to any city;
- security of residents as a priority;
- neighbourhoods are integrated into the existing city infrastructure and become part of urban life;
- clear distribution regulations that prevent corruption risks.

The concept was developed by the Big City Lab team in partnership with the architectural bureau PUPA: life over space and the Civitta consulting company .

The pilot project is a neighbourhood of ten houses in Bila Tserkva. It will provide housing for about 1,500 Ukrainians who have lost their homes. All apartments are planned to be delivered renovated, furnished and equipped with household appliances.

The concept is based on best practices in social housing, particularly in France, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria.

There was a good reason why URC-2025 was chosen as the venue for the presentation. It provided an opportunity to gain support for implementation from international partners.

Next up is a presentation in Ukraine and pilot implementation. And this is just the beginning.

The project is implemented by order of Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba to create social housing in Ukraine. The concept of social and affordable housing was developed by the Big City Lab urban bureau in partnership with the PUPA architectural bureau and the Civitta consulting company as part of the Mariupol Reborn project, in collaboration with the team of Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko.