Eight flats to be transfered to municipal enterprise «Svii Dim» in Mykolaiv — they will be refurbished for internally displaced persons

The «Svii Dim» municipal enterprise is set to transfer eight flats, which will be refurbished for internally displaced persons. Illustrative photo: Suspilne

Mykolaiv City Council plans to transfer eight flats to the municipal enterprise «Svii Dim». These are owned by the city. The properties are to be renovated with the help of a charitable foundation so that internally displaced persons can subsequently live there.

This was discussed at a meeting of the Mykolaiv City Council’s Committee on Housing and Communal Services on 25 August, according to NikVesti.

Tetiana Dmitrova, deputy head of the Mykolaiv City Council’s Department of Municipal Property, explained that the draft resolution proposes to transfer municipal property—flats at 4 Aivazovskyi Street, 12/3 Yevhen Lohinov Street, 12/3, and 104 Kosmonavtiv Street.

Eight flats are to be transferred to the «Svii Dim» municipal enterprise on a usufruct basis so that the «Caritas» charity foundation can renovate the properties. The flats will then be allocated to internally displaced persons.

The right of usufruct is the right to possess and use another person’s property free of charge, with the right to derive income from it, but without the right to sell, gift or dispose of it.

Councillor Yevhen Prudnyk (elected for the «Opposition Party — For Life» party) asked what the municipal enterprise «Svii Dim» actually does. In his view, this is unclear.

Tetiana Dmytrova, deputy head of the municipal property department, replied that the municipal enterprise had been set up to deal with affordable housing.

«There is affordable housing, and there is social housing. If we have affordable housing — that is, if something is built — then the «Svii Dim» municipal enterprise will be responsible for letting out this housing and generating income for the community. But apart from that, their articles of association set out a wide range of functions: maintenance, letting,» explained Tetiana Dmytrova.

Tetyana Dmytrova, Deputy Head of the City Council’s Department of Municipal Property. Photo: NikVesti

She also noted that the company currently has around 35 flats on its books. They are also awaiting a Cabinet of Ministers resolution under which housing will be divided into social housing, which cannot be privatised but only used, and affordable housing, which can be let out for rent.

«They (the «Svii Dim» municipal enterprise, — note) are using the allocated community funds to carry out property registration, prepare the necessary documents and get the flats ready for future occupancy — they’re clearing out the rubbish so that charitable foundations can then come in and renovate the properties,» added the deputy head of the municipal property department.

Tetiana Dmytrova assured that the flats will remain solely on the municipal enterprise’s balance sheet. No one will be evicted from them: some of the flats were transferred to the city because the owners died and there were no heirs, whilst others were vacant.

«These are all municipally-owned flats. The Mykolaiv local authority has already formalised ownership of four of them. Three are still in the process of having ownership formalised,» noted Tetiana Dmytrova.

She also clarified that displaced persons will not be granted ownership of the flats, but will simply live in them.

«Once the flats have been renovated, the housing department will take over. There is a priority list for allocating the flats, specifying who will be given them. The main condition is that they must not be military families. At present, there are many families on the waiting list who require accommodation as internally displaced persons. We are renovating solely for them. However, the flats will remain on the books of «Svii Dim»,» explained the deputy head of the municipal property department.

The committee members agreed on the draft resolution, but noted that they wished to hear from the head of the «Svii Dim» municipal enterprise about the organisation’s activities.

As a reminder, on 31 July, the Mykolaiv City Council failed for the second time to vote in favour of reorganising the municipal enterprise «Svii Dim». It was to be transformed into the limited liability company «Svoia Domivka». Councillors felt that there needed to be an overarching strategy for reforming municipal enterprises, which should be implemented alongside changes to the legislation, rather than focusing on a single case.

At its session on 30 June, the Mykolaiv City Council also failed to pass a vote on the transformation of the municipal enterprise «Svii Dim» into the limited liability company «Svoia Domivka».

Furthermore, at the meeting on 31 July, the City Council once again refused to approve the allocation of land to the «Svii Dim» municipal enterprise for modular housing for internally displaced persons on Bohoiavlenskyi Avenue. This project is overseen by Deputy Mayor Serhii Korenev.

Ultimately, at the meeting on 6 August , the city council approved the allocation of land, but to the Department of Municipal Services.