Shelter Program
The Shelter Program aims to assist households affected by Russian aggression by strengthening social infrastructure, supporting the sustainable development of affected communities, creating conditions for the integration of internally displaced persons, and improving the quality of life for the population.
Key activities of the program:
- Distribution of emergency repair kits
- Execution of small and medium repairs
- Repair of social infrastructure facilities
- Distribution of non-food kits for households
- Winter preparation: payment of utilities, distribution of heating devices, provision of fuel
- Support in housing rent
- Insulation of houses
- Repair of collective centers
- Modular houses
The Shelter Program operates in regions where people are in greatest need of support, including Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions.
From the beginning of 2024 until June 10337 services SHELTER were provided, in particular:
- 5 heating pointsprovided assistance to 3713individuals benefited. Some points also functioned as shelters.
- 1889 households received Humanitarian repair (light and medium repairs)
- 13 households received Modernization of IDPs houses
- 708 households received Emergency Shelter Kit.
- 220 households (303 people) secured start-up grant and cash for rent.
- 1443 households received Winterization (1034 households were provided with solid fuel, 336 households – sets with heaters or solid fuel boilers, 73 households received cash payments for utilities).
- 4640 beneficiaries received non-standard NFIs for older people.
- During the winter period, 13 Collective sites where 270 IDPs of the Caritas Ukraine network live were supported with utility payments.
- In total, assistance was provided to 690 beneficiaries with disabilities.
Beneficiary Stories:
Domna Stepanivna, 85 years old, lives in the Donetsk region. Due to her age, it is physically challenging for her to supply her home with fuel briquettes. Relatives rarely visit Ms. Domna, so she relies on social workers for help. Through the Shelter program by Caritas Kramatorsk, she received heating assistance and was deeply moved by the care she received:
“Thank you for the ‘bricks’, thank you for helping!” — Ms. Domna affectionately calls the fuel briquettes “bricks.”
Serhiy Anatoliyovych from Druzhkivka, Donetsk region, also needed help insulating his home. At 68 years old, he and his wife were grateful to become beneficiaries of the Shelter program.
“I am very grateful to Caritas Kramatorsk for this assistance. The fuel briquettes significantly ease our lives in winter. Now we can be assured of our warmth,” shared Serhiy Anatoliyovych.
Tetiana Pavlivna, 63 years old, from Huliaipole, Zaporizhzhia region, also sought assistance. Her house’s roof was damaged by shelling. Through the Shelter program by Caritas Zaporizhzhia, Ms. Tetiana received an emergency repair kit. She teamed up with other locals whose homes were also damaged. Together, they found a truck and received emergency repair kits for several families at once. Now they can finally properly repair their homes.
Strategic Goals of the Program:
- Restoration of damaged and destroyed housing for safe and comfortable living conditions
- Increasing energy efficiency and modernizing housing for vulnerable populations
- Restoring social infrastructure for community development
- Providing dignified living conditions for the elderly and people with disabilities
- Creating conditions for safe wintering
- Assisting with housing rentals
- Improving the management and coordination efficiency of collective centers to enhance the quality of services and living conditions
- Promoting the development of social housing in Ukraine
Achieving these goals will significantly improve the quality of life for people in the affected areas of Ukraine. The Shelter program thus implements its plans for sustainable community development, emphasizing efficient resource use and increased social responsibility.
The war in Ukraine continues, and unfortunately, a significant number of people still need housing assistance. Our support remains as crucial as ever.
“May a home be built, and may its walls reflect God’s love and blessings, providing shelter, peace, and grace to those who live within it.”
Prayer for the settlement or construction of a new home
Shelter Program Manager Iryna Noga
inoga@caritas.ua