More than 57,000 Ukrainians received state funding through the eRecovery program to repair their homes or purchase new property instead of destroyed ones as a result of hostilities. The total amount of disbursed funds exceeded 11 billion hryvnias.
The program’s achievements and plans were discussed during an event dedicated to its first anniversary. Held on May 11 in Irpin, the event was organized by the Ministry for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, along with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, with support from the USAID/UK aid Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services (TAPAS) Activity.
Launched in May 2023, the eRecovery program initially provided assistance capped at 200,000 hryvnias for housing repairs. Currently, Ukrainians can receive up to 500,000 hryvnias for home restoration as well as a housing certificate to purchase a new property.
“The eRecovery program is continuously evolving and improving, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Ministry for Restoration and the Ministry of Digital Transformation, local municipalities, and our partners’ support. After all, it is important to create such conditions within the country to facilitate the return of as many Ukrainians as possible to normal life,” said Oleksandr Kubrakov.
Through eRecovery, 54,500 citizens received payments totaling more than 5.8 billion hryvnias for repairing damaged housing, while 2,800 individuals acquired new homes using housing certificates. The highest number of assistance applications came from the Kharkiv, Kyiv, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions.
A key success of the program lies in its fully online service delivery via the Diia app, ensuring broad accessibility and process transparency, speed, and efficiency.
“eRecovery is one of the most complex services in the history of the digital state. No similar service exists in any other country, rendering our experience entirely unique. While the service appears simple to the user, numerous processes unfold simultaneously behind the scenes. These include data retrieval from the Register of Damaged and Destroyed Property, cross-referencing with other registries, and work of local commissions. We managed to launch a user-friendly and accessible service for Ukrainians, which ensures maximum transparency of processes while effectively mitigating corruption risks,” noted Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, in his speech.
eRecovery is pivotal to Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, showcasing how digitalization can profoundly drive this process forward. Through digital tools and technologies, Ukraine has successfully streamlined and optimized numerous recovery processes, fostering socioeconomic development and resilience during the war.
“The United States has been Ukraine’s proud partner in every step along the way in developing eRecovery, just one of dozens of digital solutions we have supported in the Diia ecosystem since its launch in 2019. Our shared commitment is to not only help restore your infrastructure and economy, but to do so in a way that is transparent, accountable, citizen-centered, and innovative. This is what will enable Ukraine not just to win the war, but build the future Ukrainians imagine for themselves: a future that is transforming for the better, for the next generation, for your further integration into the European and transatlantic family of nations,” emphasized Bridget Brink, the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine.
In addition to facilitating housing reconstruction, the program fosters the development of war-affected communities and bolsters local businesses. This is achieved by stipulating that funds received via eRecovery can only be utilized at construction stores and by contractors who offer construction services registered through the Diia portal. Two-thirds of them are private entrepreneurs who create jobs and contribute taxes to their communities.
The British Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris said: “eRecovery is the first digital state compensation tool to be rolled out during wartime at scale. It helps to ensure an efficient and transparent distribution of funds to those Ukrainians whose property was damaged or destroyed by Russia’s invasion. Now they can rebuild their homes within months, aiding the recovery of their communities. The UK is proud to support this vital and innovative initiative.’’
Recognizing the crucial role of state support for the population during the war, the Ukrainian government is planning the continued development of the eRecovery program. During the event, participants also underscored the importance of enhancing civil oversight in reconstruction efforts and increasing transparency within the processes.
