Ukraine Response — Regional Analysis — Access to Housing for Refugees from Ukraine (January - March 2024)

IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix collected data through Surveys with Refugees in the Ukraine Response region from January to March 2024 in nine countries in Central and Eastern Europe: Czechia,¹ Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,² Romania, Republic of Moldova, and Slovakia.³

This report presents the findings of surveys with adult Ukrainian citizens related to their housing conditions, highlighting trends in their accommodation needs and intentions, available housing options, along with the key challenges they may encounter during displacement. The analysis focuses on respondents who answered questions on housing conditions and needs in their respective host countries, and who intend to remain in the country where the survey took place for the foreseeable future.

Key Findings:

• Among, 5,223 Ukrainian respondents, 84% were women and16% were men.
• 83% of respondents were in private housing whilst 17% were in collective housing.
• 53% of respondents found accommodation without any support, 34% used support from family and friends, 6% from NGOs, 4% from governments, 2% from IOM and 1% from their employers.
• In terms of funding accommodation, 33% of respondents’ housing was subsidised whilst 67% were in self-paid housing.
• 15% consider a lack of long-term housing as a barrier to inclusion.

^1. In Q1 2024, IOM Czechia focused their data collection efforts on gaining insight into the needs and intentions of refugees from Ukraine above the age of 60 years old. This also includes information on housing. Given the limited scope of their survey sample, Czechia is not included in this report. For information on the housing situation of older refugees in Czechia, see Czechia — Older Refugees from Ukraine: Assessing and supporting their needs (February - March 2024).
^2. IOM Poland launched its Integration Survey in March 2023 to assess the progress and needs relating to the economic and social integration of refugees from Ukraine in Poland, including their housing needs and conditions. The relevant variables have been taken from IOM Poland’s Integration Survey for the purpose of this analysis.
^3. In Slovakia, in collaboration with the DTM team at the Regional Office in Vienna and the Integration and Migrant Training Unit (IMT/LHM at IOM HQ), IOM piloted the Migrant Integration and Needs Assessment Survey (MINAS) in 2024. The relevant variables have been taken from the MINAS survey for the purpose of this analysis