OPPOSITION PLATFORM – FOR LIFE MP Serhiy Lovochkin has sent an inquiry to Prime Minister Oleksii Honcharuk demanding taking immediate measures aimed at finding comprehensive and sophisticated solution to the housing problem of Ukrainian military.

The politician insists that the measures must include analysis of whether the budget costs allocated for construction (acquisition) of housing for the Armed Forces of Ukraine service persons over the past several years have been used efficiently. They must also provide for significant increase of relevant expenses in the budget-2020 draft bill when it’s revised by the government, as well as development of an efficient system of their use.

Lovochkin believes that insufficient social protection of the military and their families, primarily in housing, is one of the acutest issues in the defense sector. It provokes constant social tensions within the military personnel and deteriorates the positive image of army service. The problem also has negative impact on morale and performance of the Army.

“Package military housing program aimed at solving this problem and adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers on Nov. 29, 1999 has not achieved its own goals. The main target of the program, to provide housing for 45,000 military of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the waiting list as of early 2010, has not been met,” the politician said.

Lovochkin says catastrophic lack of funding is one of the reasons behind the situation. Between 2011 and 2017, the housing program had been funded by only 21 percent of the planned amount. 4,500 apartments, or mere 10 percent of provided by the program, had been constructed.

“The volume of budget funding allocated for construction of housing for military has not been enough and has been decreasing over time. The funds allocated from the budget had been used inefficiently. This results in ever increasing numbers of the military put on housing waiting list. Between early 2018 and early 2019 it grew from 47,100 persons to 48,300 persons, with over half of them, 27,000 persons, having been waiting for over 10 years,” the request reads.