SOCIAL POLICY ON HOUSING SUPPORT FOR EXTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS FROM UKRAINE IN EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Abstract

The social policy for housing internally displaced persons has become an essential part of the European Union's response to the migration crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine. Among the support programs for displaced persons from Ukraine in EU countries, the group focused on providing safe housing is the largest. The objective of this article is to analyze the social policy regarding housing provision for internally displaced persons from Ukraine across EU countries. The paper is aimed at exploring the main mechanisms of housing provision and social support for these individuals. The research is based on the analysis of EU official documents, directives, and scholarly sources that illuminate the scientific and social issues related to housing displaced persons. The author has utilized data from various international databases and analytical reports on the migration crisis response. The scientific novelty of the research lies in a comprehensive approach to analyzing the impact of the migration crisis on the social security systems of EU countries, identifying the positive factors and flaws of current programs. The conclusions of the article point to a significant variety of approaches to housing provision across different EU countries and identify the following positive factors of involving private households: the simplicity of the application process, which allowed for quick processing; a limited scope of responsibilities for the host side; the involvement of new partners from civil society; the quality and rapid work of agencies involved in refugee affairs; the use of digital technologies to accelerate housing placement and facilitate verification and further support. It is noted that some programs have issues with monitoring and control, duration of stay, and ensuring the safety of displaced persons. It is recommended to intensify cooperation between governmental institutions, international organizations, and community initiatives to create more flexible and secure housing programs.