Changes to accommodation support in relation to Lex Ukraine VI after September 1st 2024

In this article you will learn:

- How the provision of state humanitarian accommodation will change after 1 September 2024
- How to apply for state humanitarian accommodation
- How and where to find help to find accommodation
- How to access humanitarian assistance
- Access to emergency immediate assistance

State humanitarian accommodation is a collective term for short-term shelter and emergency accommodation facilities provided free of charge to provide temporary accommodation for those fleeing Ukraine. This accommodation is provided through the Regional Assistance Centre for Ukraine (KACPU) in Ostrava.

How the provision of state humanitarian accommodation will change after 1 September 2024?

The system of state humanitarian accommodation for those fleeing Ukraine as a result of the Russian military aggression was conceived from the outset as a temporary instrument of immediate assistance. Therefore, from 1 September 2024, state humanitarian accommodation will be provided for a maximum of 90 days after the first temporary protection is granted. This change also applies to vulnerable persons.
Vulnerable persons are those who meet the conditions for granting humanitarian benefits (HuD). Prior to the changes related to Lex Ukraine VI, free state humanitarian accommodation was provided up to 150 days after the granting of the first temporary protection. In the case of vulnerable persons, state humanitarian accommodation was granted for an indefinite period of time. Thus, after 1 September 2024, free accommodation will be time-limited to 90 days for all. Vulnerability of persons remains a consideration in determining entitlement to humanitarian benefit.

Therefore, if on 31 August 2024, a temporary protection holder is staying in a state humanitarian accommodation facility for 90 days or more, this accommodation will no longer be covered by the state after 1 September 2024. He or she will then have to either leave the facility and find other accommodation or make individual arrangements with the owner.

In any case, the changes after 1 September 2024 do not affect those living in private accommodation.

Detailed information and news can be found on the Information Portal for Foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic: state humanitarian accommodation - frs.gov.cz (CZ), Державне гуманітарне житло - frs.gov.cz (UK).

How to apply for State Humanitarian Accommodation

State Humanitarian Provision remains available to all those fleeing Ukraine, and it remains the case that you can only apply at the Regional Assistance Centre for Ukraine in Ostrava.

KACPU Ostrava acts as the central point for allocating state humanitarian accommodation to all regions in the Czech Republic (except Prague). After the allocation of humanitarian accommodation by the state, the person concerned receives a written confirmation called "Information on allocation of accommodation". This document contains the address of the accommodation, contact details, and basic information on the rights and obligations associated with this form of assistance.

If the person arrives in the Czech Republic outside working hours and you have to wait for KACPU to open, there is also still short-term shelter in Ostrava and Brno. This is short-term accommodation as an emergency mechanism. It operates around the clock and is available at the following addresses:
Ostrava, Dr. Malého 1356/17 (tel. +420 771 288 779).

It is also possible to contact the official temporary protection hotline of the Client Centre for Information for Foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic for further information:
Tel.: + 420 974 801 802
E-mail: ukrajina@mvcr.cz
The Ministry of the Interior's virtual assistant is available for your questions outside office hours.
Web: contacts - frs.gov.cz (CZ), Державне гуманітарне житло - frs.gov.cz (UK)

Finally, up-to-date information on temporary protection is also published on the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Interior "Our Ukrainians": Our Ukrainians.

How and where to get help finding accommodation

Given the impact of the changes to the provision of free accommodation after 1 September 2024, it is important that people do not leave it to the last minute to find accommodation. When looking for accommodation, it is important to make use of all the possibilities offered by the housing market in the region or ask for help from local NGOs, or contact the relevant social services department of the particular municipality with extended powers (ePUSA).

As already pointed out in the previous section, the termination of housing costs under state humanitarian accommodation does not include individual agreements between the person concerned and the landlord, e.g. under a standard rental agreement.

The possibility of benefiting from humanitarian aid

In the event of difficulties in finding sustainable housing as a result of the changes after 1 September 2024, the person concerned has the option of drawing on financial assistance. In particular, this is a humanitarian benefit, for which there has been an increase in the countable housing costs for vulnerable people since 1 January 2024.
Details on the amount and possibilities of drawing the humanitarian benefit can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs: Humanitarian benefit (mpsv.cz).
Alternatively, you can contact the special line of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic, which provides information on the humanitarian benefit also in Ukrainian language:
Tel.: +420 950 180 100
E-mail: ua@uradprace.cz.

Possibility of receiving emergency immediate assistance

If a vulnerable person is in a difficult situation, he/she can also benefit from material support in the form of Extraordinary Immediate Assistance (EIA). This is a one-off immediate assistance provided by the Labour Office in case of a threat of loss of housing due to the termination of state-funded accommodation. However, it should be borne in mind that, as a one-off aid, the MOP is only intended to bridge a sudden hardship situation, so it is not a long-term solution to regular housing costs. Moreover, eligibility for the MOP is not automatic, but the income, financial and social circumstances of all persons assessed together are examined.

More information can be found here: MOP (EN), MOP (UK).