In Lviv, the MOLOHOUSE project has been presented — the first social housing block for young people in Ukraine in an inclusive format. This new approach is intended to serve as a model for a future nationwide programme to support young professionals.
In the new section on Mykolaychuka Street, with a total area of 3,070 m², 53 modern, barrier-free flats of around 36 m² each will be created. Employed young people under the age of 25 who have moved to Lviv from other regions of Ukraine will be able to live here. Residents will be selected transparently by a competitive commission.
The length of stay in MOLOHOUSE will be up to three years. The expected rent is 5–7 thousand hryvnias per month, which should make housing more affordable for young people starting their careers in the city. Construction and finishing works on the building are currently being completed.
First Deputy Mayor of Lviv Andriy Moskalenko stressed that this is not about handing out flats, but about creating an opportunity to rent housing at an affordable price and, during this time, to get on one’s feet. According to him, the city aims to build up a full-fledged stock of social housing and to secure the adoption of a modern social housing law that will allow similar projects to be implemented on a systematic basis.
To support professionals most needed by the community, sectoral quotas for residents will apply in the building:
- 20% of the flats — for education workers (schoolteachers and lecturers);
- 20% — for medical staff and rehabilitation specialists;
- 20% — for representatives of culture, the creative industries, art therapists, as well as employees of the State Emergency Service, the police and other essential services;
- 40% — open allocation, with priority for internally displaced persons and veterans.
A distinctive feature of MOLOHOUSE will be a multifunctional safety space — a shelter that will also serve as a co-working area. The idea for this format, where young people can not only live but also work and socialise even during air-raid alerts, was proposed by the frontman of the band ‘Antytila’ and spokesperson of the Presidential Youth Council of Ukraine, Taras Topolia.
“This is a unique project and a really cool example that absolutely must be scaled up across the whole country. It’s safe here, there is a co-working shelter. In addition to protection, this space will give a boost to mega-communication. MOLOHOUSE will be extremely useful for the community: it will be home to young people who, through their work, will strengthen strategic security, healthcare, education and rehabilitation in Lviv,” said Taras Topolia.
MOLOHOUSE is the second of eight residential buildings being constructed on Mykolaychuka Street as part of the project ‘Housing for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the Recovery of Liberated Cities in Ukraine’. The first building was opened in February 2025: it houses people undergoing treatment and rehabilitation after injuries, including veterans and civilians affected by the war. Construction of the remaining six buildings is ongoing.
Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi underlined that the first building within this project was constructed in around a year, which, in his words, is an exceptionally short timeframe even by European standards. He emphasised the importance of channelling funding for youth initiatives specifically through cities, as this delivers tangible results.
The project is being implemented by Lviv City Council with financial support from the European Union and under the management of NEFCO, within the framework of the UNBROKEN National Humanity Ecosystem. The EU has provided grant funding of 19.5 million euros for the initiative.
The national partner is the Presidential Youth Council of Ukraine. The presentation of MOLOHOUSE was also attended by Member of Parliament and Co-Chair of the Presidential Youth Council Oleksandr Sanchenko and Member of the European Parliament Lukas Zipser.