Housing Ecosystem Assessment and Options for Social and Affordable Housing in the Republic of Moldova

Like many other post-socialist countries, the Republic of Moldova’s housing system is characterized by the consequences of rampant privatization, problems with running privately owned apartment buildings, an unregulated private rental market, and a less developed housing credit system. The arrival of Ukrainian refugees and related housing assistance programmes have disrupted the urban housing market and, in many respects, have worsened housing affordability by increasing prices and rents.

UN Migration Agency (IOM), and Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), collaborated to a) analyse the Republic of Moldova's housing system and policies to identify the bottlenecks in the provision of affordable housing for refugees from Ukraine and vulnerable groups in host communities and, b) design a pilot housing project to explore how affordable housing solutions can be delivered to the identified target groups. The pilot project is based on the main housing policy recommendations presented in this study. It proposes the development of a property owned by the Municipality of Chisinau by repurposing unused buildings into social and affordable housing for a diverse target group, including refugees affected by the housing affordability problem.