Housing is a basic necessity for life. It serves as a foundation: when it is secure, it provides stability and allows for progress. Having a home makes it much easier to endure difficult situations and find the strength to move forward: to psychologically recover from bombings, adapt to a new place, look for work, or plan for the future. That is why Caritas Ukraine, through its Shelter program, actively helps vulnerable Ukrainians to establish dignified living conditions.

Without adequate housing assistance, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine will significantly deteriorate. This could eventually lead to a substantial outflow of Ukrainians to other countries in search of better living conditions. 

Relevance of the Need

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in 2024, 263,000 people in Ukraine need housing assistance, 157,000 of whom are internally displaced persons (IDPs). The need for housing and non-food items in Ukraine is immense due to the widespread destruction of homes, loss of property, and damage to public service infrastructure. According to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA 2), 1.4 million housing units have been damaged. Moreover, the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on June 6, 2023, which was not accounted for in RDNA2, resulted in 37,000 homes being damaged by flooding, 15% of which are beyond repair. 

The largest volume of damaged homes is in Ukraine’s eastern regions. The total cost of damage to the housing sector is estimated to exceed USD 50 billion. 

The largest volume of damaged homes is in Ukraine’s eastern regions. The total cost of damage to the housing sector is estimated to exceed USD 50 billion.

Program Beneficiaries

Local residents, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and people who have returned to their permanent places of residence.

Types of Assistance Provided by the Program

• Provision of Emergency Shelter Kit
• Implementation of Humanitarian Light, Medium and Heavy Repairs
• Rental Support
• Provision of Winter Energy
• Provision of Winter Cash for Utilities
• Distribution of Winter Heating Appliances
• Distribution of Non-Food Items for Households
• Distribution of Non-Food Items for Winter
• Insulation of Substandard House
• Provision of Sustainable Energy
• Implementation of Humanitarian Repair of Social Facilities
• Installation of Prefabricated Houses
• Collective Sites
• Care and Maintenance of Collective Sites
• Provision of Essential Items and Equipment for Communal and Individual Use of Collective Sites
• Coordination and Delivery of Multi-Sectoral Assistance

Program Geography

The program is implemented through local Caritas organizations in the following regions: Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa. Assistance with temporary accommodation is provided in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Chernivtsi, and Odesa regions.

Program Impact and Results

Iryna Noga, Head of the Shelter Program:
“The Shelter Program of Caritas Ukraine has a significant impact on supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable local populations affected by the war. The program improves housing conditions through accommodation in collective sites, restoration of damaged and destroyed residential and non-residential buildings, and the provision of safe and comfortable living conditions. It also actively supports projects for long-term housing solutions, such as the installation of prefabricated houses and the creation of affordable housing units in Ukraine.”

Some Beneficiary Stories

Tamara Yosypivna, 78 years old. Pensioner from Zaporizhzhia.
Assistance provided: window replacement

In 2023, Tamara’s apartment was damaged by a missile attack on the city. She has no one to help her, as she is a widow, and her only son passed away several years ago. Thanks to Caritas Ukraine’s partners and donors, Tamara’s broken windows were replaced under the Shelter Program. However, after another attack this year, her home was damaged again.

“The second time feels different: last year, I was scared and didn’t know what to do — I thought I’d have to spend the winter with broken windows. Honestly, at first, I didn’t believe something could be done for free. But this time, I knew I could ask for help from Caritas Zaporizhzhia, and I knew everything would be done properly!”

Serhiy Anatoliyovych, 68 years old. Pensioner from Druzhkivka, Donetsk region.
Assistance provided: fuel briquettes for the winter

Serhiy spent his life working in Chornobyl. He and his wife received help from Caritas Ukraine in the form of fuel briquettes. This type of support under the Shelter Program is crucial for him:
“I am very grateful to Caritas Kramatorsk for this help. The fuel briquettes make our life much easier in winter. Now we can rest assured we will stay warm,” said Serhiy Anatoliyovych.

Liubov Viktorivna, 75 years old. Pensioner from Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region.
Assistance provided: glass replacement in windows and doors

A Russian missile hit right next to Liubov’s house. According to her, the blast was loud, and in an instant, all her windows were shattered:
“It was midnight. I wasn’t asleep, thank God, otherwise, I would have been terrified! All the windows shattered, glass was everywhere, doors flew open, locks popped out, and even interior doors were damaged.”
Thanks to Caritas Ukraine’s donors, through the Shelter Program, new glass was promptly installed in Liubov’s home.

Our Partners

• Ukraine Humanitarian Fund
• UNHCR
• USAID
• Caritas Denmark
• Caritas Switzerland
• The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB)
• Catholic Relief Services
• NACHBAR IN NOT
• Caritas Austria
• Caritas Germany