The Specific of Right to Shelter Realization for Internally Displaced People in Ukraine

This article covers the topic of realization of the right to shelter for internally displaced people and building an effective system of social protection in Ukraine. The author analyzes relevant laws and their application for solving actual problems of these people, practice of Ukrainian courts about internally displaced people protection, their standard of living, communication with the authorities, and finds ways of more effective realization and social policy improvement. Ukraine’s system of social protection is still undeveloped. The war with Russia of 2014–2018 has shown all the drawbacks of this system and has caused the existence of internally displaced people – a new population category, which needs the state’s help. It becomes more and more difficult to guarantee an adequate standard of living. Ukrainian authorities and community bodies do not make enough effort. The mechanism of getting shelter as a gradual process is not prescribed by law. As a result, internally displaced people do not know how to protect their right to shelter, to get a dwelling, which refers to basic needs. This factor, as practice shows, worsens the relationships between authorities and people who need social protection. Internally displaced people survive only thanks to charity. Problems with budget and financing that existed before the conflict with Russia still exist. The author states that Ukraine should follow the example of Germany while choosing the course of social policy. But it is difficult to change the system of social protection radically, especially in the situation of conflict with the neighbor state. Effective communication and partnership between the authorities and people should be built. The reform of the social protection system, changing laws, cooperation of authorities and people, and legal consciousness could become the ways of the problem solution. Attention to internally displaced people and their problem with dwelling will help Ukraine to become a law and social state. According to the author’s conclusions, the right to shelter realization requires efforts of all subjects in these legal relationships.