Rental Market Initiative: dozens of internally displaced families in Khmelnytskyi region receive help with rent and utilities
Almost fifty internally displaced families in Khmelnytskyi region have joined the Rental Market Initiative (RMI). Thanks to the programme, they have been able to move into their own flats or houses and confidently begin a new chapter of their lives. Among other things, the programme provides six months of support with rent and utility payments.
Anna Savchuk, a social worker with the programme, notes that success at every stage and receiving financial support depend first and foremost on the families themselves. It is important that they want change, take an active stance and are ready to put down roots in the community: find a job, study or start their own business.
“Rokada’s role is to provide comprehensive, step-by-step support to every family. We don’t just administer financial assistance – we become a reliable source of support for people who have gone through severe hardship. We also provide information on social services and psycho-emotional support, and refer people to specialised services to ensure comprehensive help on the path to independence.”
social worker
Currently, 48 families raising 55 children are taking part in the programme in Khmelnytskyi region. The Rental Market Initiative also operates in Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Rivne regions.
For Alona Vatsko, a former resident of Kherson, and her ten-year-old daughter, Khmelnytskyi region has become the second stop on their displacement journey. The family settled here in June this year. At first, they rented housing on their own.
“The RMI programme literally gave us a shoulder to lean on. When you don’t have to think every month about where to find money for rent and utilities, you have the resources to create something of your own, grow and keep moving,” the woman admits. She adds that thanks to the support she was able to open a beauty salon in Khmelnytskyi and return to her favourite profession in her new home.
Another family in the programme is that of Oleh Solonukha from Mykolaiv region. They had to leave their home back in March 2022. In Khmelnytskyi region, the family spent a long time crammed into a tiny flat together with its owner. And it might have gone on like that for much longer if specialists from Rokada’s regional office had not suggested they join the RMI programme.
“For our family, this is essentially a new beginning. Thanks to the programme, we were able to improve our living conditions and receive financial support for rent and utilities in a new place we hadn’t yet settled into. After a while, we managed to open a small workshop making orthopaedic insoles. This is our first start-up,” the man says, dreaming of one day expanding his business.
The Rental Market Initiative (RMI) is implemented with the financial support of UNHCR Ukraine – the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine. It provides comprehensive assistance to internally displaced families: cash support for rent and utilities, as well as social adaptation, so that after the programme participants can take care of themselves independently.
The project is implemented with the financial support of the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.
