On July 14 this year, the Saeima adopted as a matter of urgency amendments to the Law on Assistance to Ukrainian Civilians, which provides for the supplementing of the regulations with another form of primary support – accommodation for up to 60 days.

The amendments to the Law provide that local governments may take a decision on the period of accommodation of the relevant Ukrainian civilian for up to 120 days or up to 60 days if in the relevant local government it is not possible to provide accommodation for a period of up to 120 days. The local government will only be able to take a decision on accommodation for up to 60 days if 80% of Ukrainian civilians that can actually be accommodated have been reached in the municipality and it is not possible to provide accommodation in another municipality.

At the same time, amendments have been made to Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 339 “Regulations regarding the Provision of Primary Support to Ukrainian civilians” issued on the basis of the Law, which provide for higher compensation for accommodation – for rental of an apartment of up to 600 euro per month, for other accommodation – up to 15 euro per person per day, if the local government took a decision on the accommodation of the relevant Ukrainian civilian for up to 60 days in accordance with the requirements of the Law. The government intends to approve amendments to the CM Regulations No 339 in the near future.

The local government will also have to take into account the number, location, possible accommodation costs, employment, education and social support opportunities of the Ukrainian civilians actually accommodated in the relevant municipality, as well as the belonging of a Ukrainian civilian to one of the groups of persons who continue to be supported also after the deadline set in the law, but not later than until the end of this year. This applies to persons with disabilities, retirement age persons, women throughout the period of pregnancy, pre-school age children who cannot visit a pre-primary education institution, a child who moves to the next level of education or continues to acquire education in Ukraine in distance learning or remotely, an emergency guardian (if it is a Ukrainian civilian) who takes care of a child until 2 years of age and any person (not just one of the parents) who provides nursing, care to a pre-school age child and the child cannot attend a pre-primary education institution.

The Law provides for extended competences and rights of local governments to make proposals and to request financial support for the adaptation of buildings and premises of different uses to the accommodation of Ukrainian civilians, not only buildings corresponding to the structure classification “1211 — Hotels and similar use buildings” as provided for previously. At the same time, the Law provides that the housing or the place of provision of the service is an illuminated and heated room suitable for living and as a long-term shelter for a person and for the placement of household objects. This increases the number of possible accommodation places.