Collective sites in Ukraine are places of high vulnerability. Older people, individuals with disabilities, chronic diseases, and mental health issues are more frequently represented among the residents of collective sites than among internally displaced persons (IDPs) outside collective sites and the general population of Ukraine.
Most collective sites lack the necessary infrastructure and resources to meet basic standards for care and support, or rely heavily on humanitarian support to do so, leaving residents in precarious living conditions. Pilot initiative by the Ministry of Social Policy on assisted living services are in progress, but not yet able to delivery to scale. Meanwhile, humanitarian support is scaling down in the western and central regions of Ukraine in line with the 2025 Humanitarian Needs Response Plan prioritisation.
Empowering people of working-age in collective sites to take control of their lives is crucial. However, according to the Vulnerability Assessment, unemployed working-age residents in collective sites often face significant challenges in securing employment due to either their caregiving responsibilities or disabilities.
Alternative housing solutions remain a significant challenge. The government is in the early stages of social housing reform, while humanitarian actors can only cover a limited number of sites with consolidation support and transformation into housing. Cooperation between development actors, businesses, and local authorities is required.