Solar panels and a playground: a modular town for internally displaced people opens in Chernivtsi

A modular town for internally displaced people has opened in Chernivtsi. It can accommodate up to 250 people. There is a school, kindergarten and public transport stop nearby. It took almost a year to build the town. It cost more than three million euros, provided by EU countries.

The modular town houses 60 IDPs. Some modules have rooms for families, couples and singles, says deputy mayor Yevhen Makhovikov. All the rooms will be occupied within a month.

Natalia Ilyichova came to Chernivtsi from Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. She moved into the modular town last Friday and lives in a two-room house with her mother and six-year-old son.

“We had all the furniture here – a table, two cupboards, and a fridge. We also had a double bed and two single beds. One was taken away because we didn’t need it. We also bought a kettle and a shelf,” says Natalia.

The house has hot water and heating, but no internet. There is a kindergarten next door in the town and Natalia’s son will start there next week. She says her son has already made friends with other children living in the town.

The houses have showers, toilets, kitchens and dining rooms. A playground has also been built on the site. Internet is currently being installed.

“The city has provided land for construction and communication. Our partners helped us install generators and solar panels in the houses. There is also heating to keep the houses warm in winter,” says Makhovikov.

Mistoservis will be responsible for cleaning the area. The municipal budget will cover utilities, and the IDPs will pay more than a thousand hryvnias per family per month for the use of the premises.

After the war, the modular town will remain the property of the municipality.

Makhovikov says that one modular town is not enough for the community, as more than 40,000 IDPs are officially registered in Chernivtsi. So they are currently working on a project to build permanent housing for another 600 IDPs. The cost is estimated at UAH 10 million.

Earlier, Suspilne explained in a video how the modular town for IDPs was equipped.

What we know: The modular town was built as part of the EU Resilient Regions – Special Assistance Programme for Ukraine, co-funded by the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Modular Town project was designed by the team of Ukrainian architect Slava Balbek at no cost. According to the Balbek Bureau’s website, the project cost around $350-550 per square meter.

Zaxid.media