Zhytomyr’s experience in developing municipal and social housing systems was presented to the global community at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), held in the capital of Azerbaijan.

The forum is a global platform for sustainable urban development and this year brought together more than 40,000 participants from 180 countries.

The participation of Ukrainian communities in the forum was supported by the project “Strengthening the Resilience of Cities in the Area of Urban Infrastructure in Ukraine” (SUR), implemented by the German government-owned company GIZ on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ).

During the special session “Housing for Recovery and Resilience,” participants discussed the important role of municipal housing amid Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Using Zhytomyr and Mykolaiv as examples, the global community was shown how effective municipal and social housing systems can be developed during wartime conditions.

As Birgit Pickel, Director-General for Sustainable Development and Climate at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), noted, affordable housing in areas with strong social infrastructure is a key precondition for Ukrainians to return home.