Panic is spreading among Ukrainians: information is circulating online that citizens will be evicted from non-privatized housing, regardless of how many years they have lived there. Kommersant Ukrainsky found out whether these rumors are justified and how much the information corresponds to reality.
Actually, these rumors are not without basis. On July 16, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading Bill No. 12377 “On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy”.
What the people’s deputies are adopting:
definition of principles, priorities and objectives of housing policy that will meet international standards;
replacement of the outdated Housing Code of Ukraine;
introduction of mandatory approval of regional housing strategies that will be based on the State Strategy;
creation of conditions for the development of public-private partnership;
formation of a housing fund for affordable rent, a fund of official and social housing;
provision of affordable mortgages for economically active citizens;
incentives for investors: the law provides for public-private partnerships, preferential loans, tax preferences and the creation of affordable housing operators;
modernization of the housing stock by establishing minimum requirements for housing quality, implementing programs for the renovation of old buildings and launching pilot renovation projects;
digitalization of the housing sector through the creation of a single information and analytical system and an electronic register of applications and funds for affordable housing.
All previously valid laws are repealed
In addition, the bill provides for: a ban on the alienation of state and municipal housing stock, suspension of the privatization of such housing. The bill has a small but very important section: “To declare invalid”, namely the Housing Code of Ukraine, adopted in 1983 with all amendments, as well as the Law of Ukraine “On the Privatization of the State Housing Stock” of 1992.
“That is, after this bill is finally adopted and the law on housing privatization is repealed on its basis, and the law itself comes into force after the end of martial law, then everyone who does not have time to privatize their housing by this time may be left without it. Privatized housing that has already passed from state to private ownership will not be taken away,” explains lawyer Maria Levchenko.
In essence, this bill does not answer the question of what will be done with Ukrainians who live in non-privatized housing. Although it is clear that the bill opens up the possibility of calculating how much privatized and non-privatized housing there is in Ukraine.
“That is, a kind of audit will be conducted to understand how much and what kind of housing there is, and then redistribute it. And what will happen to people who currently live in such housing — the bill does not say anything. But the same bill clearly states in Article 24 that if a family member terminates employment, he or she is subject to eviction,” the lawyer notes.
Residents of non-privatized dormitory rooms are on the way out
If this bill is passed, there is a high probability that many residents of dormitories that once belonged to enterprises and organizations will literally find themselves on the streets, says realtor Svitlana Vodiannyk.
“There are still dormitories in which people have been living for 20–30 years. Once they received a room from the enterprise where they worked, waiting for an apartment. But the enterprise closed, housing is no longer being built, and people still live in dormitories that have changed hands and owners over the years. People have nowhere to go, and most importantly, it is impossible to privatize this housing. On the contrary, they are trying to evict them in order to redevelop the dormitory into a residential building and sell ready-made apartments. You can’t really envy these people, and there are thousands of them,” says the realtor.
Until this bill is finally adopted, citizens still have time to privatize. So, while it’s not too late, it’s better not to delay this process, lawyers advise.
There is almost no doubt that it will be adopted. As its author, People’s Deputy Olena Shulyak, noted, bill No. 12377 is only the first step towards housing reform and a “beacon” for a tranche of 300 million euros from the EU. The timely adoption and entry into force of the Law “On the Basic Principles of Housing Policy” — by the end of December — will give Ukraine the opportunity to receive more than 300 million euros within the framework of the Ukraine Facility program. This law is one of the indicators for the payment of the next tranche of the EU.
