Zaporizhzhia's New Accessible Shelter Moves Forward
A building in Zaporizhzhia is being renovated to serve as a fully accessible shelter for 130 evacuees with mobility impairments or disabilities. The project was launched because of the constant flow of people fleeing the fighting and the fact that the region's existing adapted housing options are already overstretched. Renovation work is scheduled to finish by October, with the ground floor being rebuilt in line with national accessibility standards.
Dozens of displaced people arrive in Zaporizhzhia every day and first go through the Transit Center, where they receive humanitarian, financial, and advisory support. According to Svitlana Lysenko, temporary housing units for people with limited mobility across Zaporizhzhia Oblast are currently completely full.
"At this point, every adapted temporary accommodation space in Zaporizhzhia Oblast is occupied. That is why this new accessible shelter is so urgently needed. It will give people evacuated from active combat zones a place to live while providing them with social, psychological, and legal support," said Svitlana Lysenko.
The renovation and complete outfitting of the shelter are being paid for by the charity fund "Posmishka.UA," with backing from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund under the project "Dignity and Care: Comprehensive Services and Protection for Vulnerable Evacuees." The regional budget will cover costs outside the project's scope, including the installation of fire safety systems.
What Life in the Shelter Will Look Like
Once the shelter opens, residents will receive hot meals and support from social workers. "We will bring furniture, plumbing, specialised beds for people with limited mobility, ramps, and appliances — washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, microwaves — everything people need to live in decent conditions," said Kateryna Kutyieva.
The renovation plan includes:
- living rooms;
- bathrooms;
- kitchen areas;
- wider doorways;
- new partition walls;
- replacement flooring;
- wall finishing;
- ramps;
- accessible showers and toilets;
- Braille signage;
- specialised furniture.
The new shelter marks a meaningful advance in providing dignified, comfortable living conditions for people with reduced mobility who have been uprooted by the war. As displacement continues, this project shows what inclusive, responsive humanitarian support can look like in practice.