Estonia and Ukraine to work together to provide housing for internally displaced people

According to Estonia’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, Estonian projects in Zhytomyr are considered highly valued all over Ukraine because they give hope for a better life to residents of the war-torn country. “The project starting today will secure housing for people in Ukraine who have had to leave their homes, sometimes even several times. Our reconstruction projects are an example for the entire world because we have completed several successful projects and gained experience on how to carry out building projects in a country at war,” said Tsahkna.

In Ukraine, it is estimated that over 33,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged in the war, and there are 3.7 million internally displaced people (IDPs) who have been forced to leave their homes due to Russia’s war of aggression. Nearly 40 percent of them have been displaced more than once.

Although Ukraine has been able to provide temporary housing for IDPs, the housing market faces chronic challenges such as poor infrastructure, low construction quality and unclear ownership. This project has empowered the construction sector to improve these conditions as Ukrainian specialists worked together with Estonian experts to adapt an existing apartment building blueprint to meet EU standards and the needs of residents with limited mobility.

ESTDEV's head of Development and Cooperation in Ukraine, Margus Gering, said that ESTDEV's working model for reconstructing Ukraine is to offer a pilot project in cooperation with a local partner that can then be scaled across the country. “Since we had a very good experience working with the city of Ovruch to build a kindergarten, we decided to continue our partnership to solve the lack of housing for internally displaced people. Our common wish is that internally displaced persons will find new homes in Ukraine and not have to move to another country,” Gering said.

Nordecon and Eurocon won the construction contract

ESTDEV organised a public procurement to find a construction partner to renovate the building and construct communications and the outdoor area. The Estonian construction company Nordecon and its Ukrainian subsidiary Eurocon won the tender worth nearly 1.8 million euros (+VAT). The construction contract was signed today in the Zhytomyr Region. The apartment building will be completed as a cooperative project between Estonia and Ukraine, and the construction work must be finished no later than 275 days after signing the contract.

“The opportunity to make a real contribution from Estonia to the reconstruction of Ukraine and to cooperate with the team of our local subsidiary daily is of real value for us,” said Nordecon AS board member Priit Luman. “We had a very meaningful cooperation with the city of Ovruch within the framework of the previous project, which is a good basis for moving forward. On our part, we will ensure high-quality construction management and a good final result.”

According to Gering, renovating the barracks is the first step in a project with much greater potential. “We are glad that Estonian companies continue to show great interest in expanding their activities to the Ukrainian market. With this, they will gain useful experience, improve their competitiveness and strengthen their position to support rebuilding Ukraine,” said Gering.

The new apartment building for DPI-s will be completed  in 2025.

In the photo: The construction  agreement was signed by Andrea Kivi, ESTDEV's  head of operations and Yurii Petrik, head of EUROCON Ukraine.