Tens of thousands of people were left without a home in Mykolaiv: how can people get new housing?

A destroyed high-rise building in Mykolaiv

Since the beginning of the Great War, Russia has destroyed the homes of many residents of Mykolaiv Oblast. They were shelled with artillery, mortars, rockets and even flooded. Some of the houses were partially destroyed, some completely. The total number of such housing in the region reaches 76,967 (private houses and apartments, — note).

However, people whose homes were destroyed or damaged have the opportunity to rebuild their homes, buy or build new ones. Read more about this in the article NikVesti.

Damages amount to more than 1.9 billion dollars

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 6,486 private houses and 1,260 high-rise buildings (70,481 apartments, note) have been damaged or destroyed in Mykolaiv Oblast, the Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration reported in response to an information request by NikVesti.

Corresponding losses amount to more than 1.9 billion dollars, according to data from the KSE Institute within the framework of the «Russia will pay» project. In this way, Mykolaiv Oblast was among the regions whose housing stock suffered the greatest destruction during the Great War.

After the Russians blew up the dam of the Kakhovka HPP, the number of houses affected by flooding was also increased. So, 540 houses were damaged or destroyed in 31 settlements of Bashtanka and Mykolaiv districts of Mykolaiv region, we were informed in Mykolaiv RMA.

«The state of damage to the buildings is different. There are completely destroyed and those in need of major repairs, and some can be restored with current repairs. The damage assessment is ongoing», Deputy Head of RMA Valentyn Haidarzhy commented on the situation.

Most people are forced to leave their homes after the destruction caused to their homes — but there are also those who have not moved. Mostly these are people whose houses were partially damaged.

Among them are residents of a high-rise building on Krylova Street in Mykolaiv. A Russian missile hit this house in the summer of 2022. As a result, apartments and roofs were damaged. If people began to restore their homes almost immediately, then they have been living with a damaged roof for a year. During the rains, water enters the apartments, causing even more damage to the houses. Residents say they don't start renovations in the apartments on the upper floors, because they don't see the point in it — the roof must be repaired first.

Photo of «Nikvesta» editorial office provided by residents of a high-rise building on Krylova Street

People whose homes were damaged by flooding are also waiting for help. Today, the home of one of these families looks more like «a kind of ruin», says Mykolaiv volunteer Victoriia Hanusovska. Their house in the village of Pavlo-Maryanivka in the Mykolaiv region was flooded as a result of the Russians undermining the hydroelectric power station.

«Everything is clear with the cottage — it is no longer there. The water was under the very roof. Today, the financial issue is acute,» — says Vadym, a local farmer and father of many children.

Photo: Victoria Hanusovska

More than 120,000 immigrants live in Mykolaiv Oblast

While the war continues in Ukraine, and the process of housing reconstruction is only gaining momentum, there are many displaced people in Mykolaiv region who need temporary housing. Currently, there are 123,542 of them. These people are housed in modular houses, buildings specially designed for the needs of displaced people, and even new projects for the construction of temporary settlements are being prepared.

Currently, 468 modular houses have been installed in 13 communities in Mykolaiv region, for which the region received funds from the European Commission. They can be adapted for both warm and cold weather. The buildings are multifunctional: the designs allow them to be converted into larger modules and used as common kitchens, children's areas, medical offices and humanitarian points.

Modular houses from the European Commission

«Internally displaced persons and people left homeless as a result of hostilities will live in these houses until their own housing is repaired or rebuilt from scratch,» — says the deputy head of Mykolaiv RMA Oleksandr Traitli.

At the same time, a house with 26 sections and 1,703 apartments is going to be built in Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv region, for the displaced people, NikVesti reported in Mykolaiv RMA. Construction will cost approximately 3 billion 335 million hryvnias. Currently, the project of this building has already been developed, the regional government is looking for international donors to implement the plan, says the deputy head of the RMA Oleksandr Traitli.

There are already 30 restoration commissions working in the region

However, modular houses are only a temporary measure. The solution to the problem will be only the restoration of housing or the construction of a new one. State programs will operate for this purpose.

One of them is the eVidnovlennia program. Currently, it is possible to receive compensation for both partially damaged and completely destroyed housing. First of all, you need to apply for reimbursement. This can be done in several ways: through the Diia application, the Administrative Services Center, the Social Protection Center, or through a notary. For an offline application, you need to have the following package of documents: passport, tax payer number, legal documents for the real estate object (certificate of ownership issued by a notary public, certificate of inheritance rights, certificate of property acquisition, etc.) or their copies.

The apartment of Nikvesta journalist Olena Kozubovska in Mykolaiv was destroyed by a Russian rocket

Further, these applications will be considered by special commissions created by local councils and administrations. They will also check the documents and determine the compensation amount. There are already 30 such commissions operating on the territory of the Mykolaiv region, the Ministry of Reconstruction reported in response to a request from NikVesti.

According to the law, the application review period is 30 days, but it will not be easy to implement it in practice, Oksana Zabolotna, an analyst at the Center for Joint Actions, told RFE/RL.

«The burden on the commission will be very heavy indeed», — she added.

Currently, Mykolayiv Oblast is in the top five oblasts, where the largest number of applications under the eVidnovleniia program were submitted — 1,555. However, the oblast has the lowest rates of consideration of these applications. Therefore, the Ministry of Reconstruction called on the Mykolaiv commissions to speed up their processing: «This depends on the ability of the owners to receive assistance in the shortest possible time for the restoration of housing before the autumn and winter cold».

Compensation of up to 200,000 hryvnias will be paid for relatively minor damage to housing. These funds can be spent on repairs.

As for completely destroyed housing, residents of such houses will receive housing certificates. They can be used to pay for a new home. If housing turns out to be more expensive, it will be possible to pay for it with several certificates or add your own funds. Similarly, the recovered funds can be invested in new, not yet built homes.

«What will it be possible to spend the money on? First, to build a house. In this case, payment of funds will be made directly to the account. Secondly, for the purchase of an apartment or other residential premises using a residential certificate. The amount of compensation will be calculated by the commission according to a special formula that will take into account the location of the destroyed object, the year of construction, the area of the object, etc.», — said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

A person will choose the seller of real estate and the settlement independently, says People's Deputy Olena Shuliak: «The state will not provide its recommendations — we believe that this should be done directly at the discretion of the person whose home was destroyed».

A high-rise building was damaged after another shelling by the Russians in Mykolaiv

The eVidnovlennia program is already in effect for residents of the Mykolayiv region, whose homes were damaged by flooding as a result of the occupiers blowing up the dam of the Kakhovska HPP, the head of the Snihurivka local military administration, Ivan Kukhta, said.

At the same time, victims of flooding can receive an additional 5,000 hryvnias from the government and 6,600 hryvnias from international organizations. To do this, you need to contact the city department of social protection of the population or the elders or specialists of the eldership districts. It is also necessary to have an identity document; a document confirming the taxpayer's registration number; bank account IBAN and birth certificate of the child. Of course, these funds will not be enough for the full restoration of flooded homes, but they will help cover some related needs.

Another opportunity to rebuild one's own home is the state program VidnovyDIM. Currently, it operates in only six regions of Ukraine, including Mykolaiv Oblast. The program allows for the restoration of condominium buildings damaged during a full-scale invasion. It is about replacing windows, repairing the facade and roof, as well as replacing damaged engineering systems.

Participation in the program takes place in two stages. On each of them, the condominium, in fact, performs all tasks independently, the state only finances these works in two tranches. At the same time, the program does not cover the costs for the production of design and estimate documentation, defective acts, author's and technical supervision, which must be obtained and added to the application for participation. Condominium residents finance all these expenses independently. Details on participation in the VidnovyDIM program can be found at the link.

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/an apartment building destroyed by the Russians in Mykolaiv

At the same time, people are helped in the initial reconstruction of damaged houses: this includes covering the destroyed roof, repairing broken windows, and building damaged walls. This is done, in particular, by volunteers of the non-profit organization Dobrobat. They call their primary task fast recovery. Centers of the volunteer movement work in seven regions of Ukraine, in particular in the Mykolaiv region. You can get help from Dobrobat by filling out the appropriate form. And you can help volunteers in this work not only by sending a donation, but also by providing construction materials.

International partners also express their willingness to help with the reconstruction of destroyed homes, says the deputy head of the Mykolayiv RMA Valentyn Haidarzhy.

«Several organizations previously expressed their interest. To date, agreements have been reached with organizations from Denmark, Germany, Japan and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We are talking about the reconstruction of both private and high-rise buildings», — he explained.

For example, UNHCR will already restore more than 350 houses in the settlements of the Pervomai settlement community: the villages of Partyzanske, Kyselivka and Maksymivka.

As you can see, the process of rebuilding damaged and destroyed housing in the Mykolayiv region has already begun. However, it continues not at such a fast pace as expected. Even if the terms of its restoration have been established, it is difficult to say for sure when exactly people will get new housing or be able to rebuild the old one. However, applications for compensation, restoration or reconstruction of your own home should be submitted now.