Mayor of Drohobych Taras Kuchma predicts that in a year or two the city authorities will be able to provide housing for all those in need from among internally displaced persons (IDPs).

"We conducted a survey, according to the results of which some 90% of all migrants said they need a permanent roof over their heads, because they have nowhere to return... It is clear that it will not be possible to provide everyone with permanent housing in the shortest possible time. Therefore, we have a category when, for example, housing is received by points: if it is a large family or if people have some factors, and then on this scale we form the first priority for housing. I think that in a year or two Drohobych will provide housing for all IDPs who are in this needs," Kuchma told Interfax-Ukraine.

He also said approximately 30% of all IDPs in Drohobych have already been employed.

"These are those who were unemployed or did not have their own business. In absolute terms, we managed to find 161 people employed. The rest of the people find work for themselves: they open their own small businesses," the mayor said.

Earlier, Kuchma said the majority of internally displaced persons (60%), who were taken in by Drohobych merged territorial community after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, are people whose homes and property were destroyed as a result of hostilities and who, accordingly, have nowhere to return. According to him, there are currently about 16,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the community, of which 30% can remain for permanent residence.

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The interview with the mayor of Drohobych, Taras Kuchma, was prepared as part of a joint special project of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency and East Europe Foundation “Community Experience” (https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/919611.html), launched in support by the Stiykist’ Programme which is implemented by East Europe Foundation within a consortium of non-governmental organisations led by ERIM (Equal Rights and Independent Media, France) and funded by the European Union. Its purpose is to show the experience of Ukrainian communities in the adaptation and integration of forcibly displaced persons in order to increase the efficiency of the work of local self-government bodies. You can learn more about effective interaction with IDPs in the free online course "Adaptation and integration of IDPs: experience and opportunities" on the educational "Zrozumilo!" platform

The opinions and statements expressed in the material do not necessarily coincide with the views of the consortium partner organizations and the European Union.