Mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Senkevych, has sent a letter to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada proposing amendments to the budget code to allow for the use of funds from local budgets for the restoration of the housing stock.

"At the moment, the budget code prohibits us from using budget funds even for housing restoration. We can only use funds for military assistance, protected articles, utility salaries, and bomb shelter construction. But I wrote a letter (a month ago) to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada asking them to allow us to rebuild the destroyed housing," Senkevych previously stated in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine during the International Mayors Summit in Chisinau.

He said that this primarily concerns damaged apartment buildings so that the city can use the local budget for priority measures to prevent further building destruction due to atmospheric phenomena.

Currently, the population of Mykolaiv is estimated at 430,000. Before the full-scale invasion, the city had a population of 480,000-500,000, and during the worst periods of 2022, there were about 230,000-250,000 people in the city. Residents whose homes are completely destroyed receive certificates under the eRecovery program.

"I cannot speak for everyone, but the first 30 owners who received certificates for destroyed property have bought new homes in Mykolaiv," he added.

As for rental housing, the city is experiencing a shortage and rising rates.

"We are considering options for municipal rental housing to make these services more accessible. Currently, we are working with various international organizations, including the International Organization for Migration, USAID, on the reconstruction of some old abandoned dormitories for such formats. Potentially, at the first stage, two large projects could be implemented, namely two or three entrances of five-story buildings. After the war ends, we can use them as a revolving fund," Senkevych said.

In the future, such housing stock is planned to be used as a tool for the city's sustainable development.

"Social housing is not only a way to solve urgent stress-related problems but also an option to attract young professionals, providing them with their first homes. Therefore, this format has a future," Senkevych said.