Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the authorities of Chervonohrad (Lviv region) have developed rules for providing housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in places of common residence according to their income and property status, Mayor Andriy Zalivsky said.

"We have developed rules according to which, if a person has a property status above a certain level, then he cannot get into places of common residence. If an internally displaced person has a low income or we are dealing with a large family, with elderly people, then at their request they were settled in shelters," Zalivsky said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

He also noted that last year in the Chervonohrad community there were approximately 14,000 people officially registered as IDPs, of which 5,000 to 7,000 live permanently. Now, according to Zalivsky, it is possible to receive a small number of people in Chervonohrad, because the housing stock is already occupied.

At the same time, the mayor announced plans to build housing for internally displaced persons.

"We have submitted a request to the regional administration for two land plots where housing can potentially be built. We also have a hostel building - a nine-storey building. Now we are looking for funds to accommodate many people there. Experts say that in order to re-equip this hostel, $3 million is needed. Two funds were interested in this project, but first they demanded that the building should be in communal ownership. It has not yet been handed over to us," he explained.

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The interview of the head of the Chervonograd community, Andrii Zalivskyi, 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

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