Mayor Vadym Boichenko has met with the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine Karolina Lindholm Billing. They discussed the challenges of the city and further joint plans.
Vadym Boichenko spoke about the challenges that the city had to overcome over the past seven years. In particular, he focused on the integration of IDPs into the Mariupol community.
‘We managed to open five family support centers. Due to this, the “new Mariupol residents” were able to receive legal and psychological assistance. Realizing that most of them have nowhere to live, they began to implement projects to form social housing. We studied the experience of Georgia and the Balkan countries. We have developed a local program that is unique for Ukraine, which made it possible to obtain housing according to the 50/50 formula. A half is the funds of the city, and a half is covered by the state budget. As a result, 250 families received their own flat,’ Vadym Boichenko said.
The Mayor added that work in this direction continues. The Steel House is already under construction, where 120 new apartments will be located.
Another important area of the city's social development is the formation of a barrier-free space. In particular, two rehabilitation centers for children with disabilities are being reconstructed in the city. They will be able to serve over 1000 children. Mariupol joined the initiative of the first lady Olena Zelenska “Without barriers” this spring. It aims to create equal opportunities for all Ukrainians. In particular, the development of a universal public space friendly to people with limited mobility.
Karoline Lindholm Billing noted the success of Mariupol's approaches to work with displaced persons. She appreciated the creation of conditions for people with disabilities.
‘Inclusion is one of the main focuses of the UN Mandate. I believe that the city will be strong if all members of the community have equal access to services and services. I am glad that Mariupol is confidently following this path,’ she said.
Among the joint future projects, they discussed the possibility of holding a regional forum, where IDPs can tell stories of successful integration into communities. Such an event will help cities exchange experiences and jointly develop effective models for the socialization of IDPs.
