Social Protection in Rural Hromadas Near the Frontline

Introduction

The decentralization reform in Ukraine gave hromadas a significant scope of powers in the field of providing for the population’s needs and ensuring access to services. Such changes have taken place in the fields of education, healthcare, and social protection of the population. One of the main principles of the decentralization reform is the principle of subsidiarity, which states that the quality of public services will be higher when they are closer to the beneficiaries. That is why decisions regarding the funding and organization of these fields must be made at the hromada level, which is the closest to the level of the consumers of these services.

In this regard, it becomes more relevant to focus state policies and international programs specifically on the hromada level in the context of recovery and sustainable development. At the same time, state government bodies, donors, and non-governmental organizations lack understanding of whether local government bodies can fulfill the obligations assigned to them, whether they have sufficient resources to do so, what difficulties they face, and what kind of support they need.

This is especially pertinent to small rural hromadas. They faced difficulties in the field of social and economic development even before the start of the full-scale invasion. The war has only deepened existing problems and made the situation of the population in these hromadas even more difficult. Many residents have left hromadas near the frontline, while internally displaced people from more dangerous or occupied settlements have moved into these hromadas. In hromadas near the frontline, budget revenues have decreased due to the departure of the working-age population; frequent shelling causes destruction of housing and infrastructure; there is a lack of personnel to rebuild destroyed houses and maintain infrastructure; and in de-occupied hromadas, the level of land contamination with mines is high. In addition, the number of people in need of support from the hromada has increased, which creates a significant burden on the field of social protection of the population.

The factors listed above indicate that there is a high need for emergency response to difficulties which arise in frontline hromadas. This hinders the transition to recovery and the implementation of sustainable solutions. Hromadas need support in overcoming the consequences of the war and minimizing their negative impact. For this purpose, we have conducted a study on the state of social protection in hromadas near the frontline, examining what kinds of support they lack and whether existing policies and support programs address the situations faced by hromadas near the frontline.

Methodology

The research covered two fields: social protection and housing in rural hromadas near the frontline. The aim was to describe the context and challenges of rural hromadas near the frontline in the fields of social protection and housing, to determine the ways to support the recovery process and the transition to sustainable solutions in these hromadas. To publish the obtained data, we divided the research findings into two publications: Social Protection in Rural Hromadas Near the Frontline and Housing and Housing Policy in Rural Hromadas Near the Frontline. This publication presents an analysis of the social protection sector and general observations on the situation of rural hromadas near the frontline.

Key objectives of the study:

1. To examine the general context and challenges in the activities of local government bodies of rural hromadas near the frontline.
2. To find out which challenges and difficulties are faced by rural hromadas near the frontline in the field of social protection and housing.
3. To research the steps that can be taken by state authorities as well as international and Ukrainian non-governmental organizations to support hromadas in providing for the population’s needs.
4. To examine the feasibility of the transition from humanitarian response to long-term sustainable solutions in the fields of social protection and housing.

To carry out these tasks, we chose a qualitative method for both data collection and data analysis. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured in-depth interviews. In collaboration with IMPACT, our international partner organization, 4 hromadas were selected to more comprehensively examine the current situation with social protection and housing in rural hromadas near the frontline using their examples. In addition, as part of the project, a workshop was held for frontline hromadas from different oblasts of Ukraine. The findings from the group discussions during the workshop are included in the research report findings.

The field stage of the study was conducted in November 2024–March 2025.

In total, 50 in-depth interviews were conducted within the study. Of these, 26 interviews were conducted with representatives of local government bodies from 4 hromadas in Kharkivska and Zaporizka Oblasts (Savynska, Oskilska, Komyshuvaska, and Ternuvatska Hromadas), 14 with non-governmental organizations that conducted various types of activities in these hromadas, and 10 with experts in the fields of social policy, housing, and local development.

The authors of the study conducted an exploratory visit to Savynska Hromada in Kharkivska Oblast in November 2024, during which they held in-person interviews with representatives of local government bodies. The other interviews were conducted online via the Zoom platform or by phone. Recruitment of the research participants was carried out by the Cedos Think Tank with the support of the international non-governmental organization IMPACT Initiatives.

The composition of the sample was determined by the specific characteristics of each hromada, which is why the number of interviews and the statuses of informants varied across the four hromadas. In each hromada, we conducted interviews with the head of the hromada and/or the deputy head, the head of the Department of Social Protection of the Population, the director of the Center for the Provision of Social Services, the head of the Department of Housing and Utility Services, and head of the Commission for Reviewing Issues Related to Compensation for Destroyed Real Estate. If such positions or institutions were not present in the hromada, we spoke with the people whose responsibilities included similar duties. Additionally, in some hromadas, interviews were conducted with representatives of other departments, Centers for the Provision of Administrative Services (CPASs), as well as with starostas.

The group discussions took place during the Housing and Social Protection in Frontline Hromadas workshop, which was held on February 26–28, 2025, in Kyiv. More than 20 representatives from fourteen rural hromadas near the frontline were present at the workshop:

• Malomykhailivska Hromada of Dnipropetrovska Oblast;
• Komyshuvaska, Novooleksandrivska, Mykhailo-Lukashivska, Stepnenska, Ternuvatska, Shyrokivska Hromadas of Zaporizka Oblast;
• Voskresenska, Mishkovo-Pohorilivska Hromadas of Mykolayivska Oblast;
• Yampilska Hromada of Sumska Oblast;
• Oskilska, Savynska, Starosaltivska Hromadas of Kharkivska Oblast;
• Novovorontsovska Hromada of Khersonska Oblast.

To ensure the confidentiality of the research participants, the obtained data was accessible only to the research team. The quotes used in the report have been anonymized and do not contain any information that could identify a person.

The study has a number of limitations:

• The study is not representative of all rural hromadas near the frontline. Its goal was to describe the cases of 4 hromadas, as well as to collect the experiences of other hromadas during the workshop, identify the main difficulties faced by the hromadas, and determine their needs. The ability to draw conclusions about the prevalence of problems among all rural hromadas near the frontline is limited.
• The study does not include a comparison with hromadas that are not located near the frontline. Some of the problems described in the report may not be specific to frontline hromadas and may potentially occur in other hromadas.
• Limited representation of the experience of local associations and volunteer initiatives which are not officially registered. We spoke with organizations mentioned by representatives of local government bodies during the interviews in the context of providing assistance and working with different population groups. All of them had the status of officially registered non-governmental or charitable organizations. At the same time, some local initiatives may not have official registration and may carry out unsystematic activities, so they might not have been mentioned by local authorities, and the research team did not conduct interviews with them. The activities of such initiatives require separate research.
• Uneven representation of the experiences of hromadas from different oblasts. Despite the inclusion of findings from the workshop for hromadas in the research report, this study is more representative of the situation typical for hromadas in Kharkivska and Zaporizka Oblasts. Frontline hromadas in other oblasts may face different difficulties that may not have been sufficiently covered in this study.
• This study focuses on hromadas located more than 15 km from the combat line. The findings of this study cannot be extrapolated to hromadas located closer to the frontline, where, in particular, mandatory evacuation of families with children has been declared. These hromadas may face different problems and needs that are not covered by this study.

Conclusions

In this study, we examined the state of the social protection sector in rural hromadas near the frontline. The study focused on the situation and challenges faced by local authorities in their work, the difficulties and needs present in the field of social protection in these hromadas. We also described how non-governmental organizations work with frontline hromadas in the field of social protection and what challenges exist in this cooperation.

The full-scale war has deepened the problems in the fields of social protection and economic development that rural hromadas had previously. Among such difficulties are the departure of the working-age population, high unemployment rates, lack of qualified personnel, underdeveloped transport network, transport connections and infrastructure, and so on.

As a result of the full-scale war, hromadas near the frontline have faced new difficulties, most of which are related to their proximity to the combat line, and for some hromadas to having been under occupation for a certain period of time. They suffer from bombing, which leads to damage to infrastructure, destruction of municipal buildings and residential houses. A significant part of the territories of de-occupied hromadas is contaminated with mines. As a result, hromadas have a need to strengthen public safety and civil protection and to carry out regular repair work.

At the same time, the resources of rural hromadas near the frontline are limited. Local government bodies face significant difficulties in their work with the constant need to respond to challenges. The study participants spoke about such difficulties in the work of local government bodies as a lack of budget funds, shortage of personnel, the need to quickly master new skills and attract funding. Due to the lack of staff and additional workload related to cooperation with partners and donors, employees of local government bodies often combine several positions in one, are overloaded with work tasks, and work overtime.

One of the major consequences of the full-scale war has been a significant decrease in the population of rural hromadas near the frontline: the population has decreased by one-third, and in some cases by half. It is mainly the working-age population, especially families with children, who have left the hromadas for safer regions. Those who remain in the hromadas are more often elderly people, people with disabilities, and low-income families. People of retirement age make up about half of the population in some hromadas. In addition, internally displaced people have relocated to frontline hromadas from areas located closer to the combat line or currently under occupation.

These changes in the population composition have led to a decrease in hromada budget revenues due to the departure of the working-age population and, at the same time, to an increase in the share of the population that requires support from the hromada. This creates a significant burden on the field of social protection of the population.

A significant problem for the hromadas that participated in the study is the lack of jobs and, as a result, the high level of unemployment among the population. This problem existed in the hromadas even before and has only deepened due to the war, particularly because of insufficient transport connections between settlements and the contamination of lands in de-occupied hromadas with mines. Despite the high level of unemployment, another challenge is the shortage of qualified workers in various specialties. Vacancies remain unfilled in professions where the share of employed men significantly exceeded the share of women before the full-scale invasion. This creates difficulties in the work of emergency services, repair and construction crews, etc., and highlights the need to train women in such professions. Hromadas use various strategies to address these challenges: they implement retraining and professional development programs and involve unemployed people in socially useful works.

Meeting the population’s social protection needs became more difficult with the start of the full-scale invasion, which deepened existing challenges and caused new problems to emerge. Representatives of local government bodies estimated that about half of the population in their hromadas require social protection, namely social services, financial and material assistance. Limited hromada budget revenues, caused by changes in the population composition, result in hromadas being able to cover only the most urgent social protection needs of the population.

Most of the problems in the field of social protection were the ones that could also be found in other hromadas across Ukraine, but they were deepened by the close proximity to the frontline and/or the experience of being under occupation. Due to the growing need for social services, social workers are significantly overburdened, while hromadas often do not have the capacity to expand their staff.

Another challenge for hromadas is the shortage, poor condition, and inaccessibility of social protection facilities, outdated equipment and machinery, and the absence of rehabilitation equipment in municipal ownership. In some hromadas, the buildings of social service providers and social protection departments were partially or completely destroyed as a result of hostilities. In addition, hromadas faced difficulties in the transport sector, and not all of them had social taxi services. This leads to a situation where part of the population has limited access to social services.

As a result of the challenges listed above, hromadas are unable to provide certain social services that are in high demand among the population: residential care, day care, and supported living services. In addition, they lack the resources to develop comprehensive support programs for different groups of people. A significant challenge is still posed by the evacuation of elderly people and people with disabilities from dangerous areas and the provision of housing and care for them in another hromada.

The study has identified some unmet needs of the hromadas. Among them are expert support from regional and national social protection bodies, access to electronic registries with necessary data, improvement of working conditions and pay levels for social workers, and the establishment of coordination between hromadas. In addition, informants noted the need for support in developing and equipping facilities to provide people with residential care, supported living, and day care services, as well as creating an accessible environment in the hromadas.

The mental condition of the population in hromadas near the frontline is deteriorating, thus increasing the need for mental health assistance. This highlights the need to provide quality regular mental health support, yet none of the hromadas that participated in the study had psychologists on the staff of social service providers. Non-governmental organizations’ projects on mental health support are often short-term and unsystematic. They only help to temporarily and selectively meet the need for support.

The need for humanitarian aid remains high in hromadas near the frontline due to changes in the population composition and the large number of people affected by the war. At the same time, the volume of aid from international and Ukrainian non-governmental organizations is decreasing. In addition, the issue of the effectiveness of humanitarian aid delivery — identifying groups of people who need humanitarian aid and verifying recipients — remains relevant.

A challenge for the hromadas that participated in the study is establishing work with military personnel, veterans, and their families. Difficulties remain in the regular involvement of psychologists who can work with this group of the population; the lack of rehabilitation opportunities in the hromada; the lack of funds in the hromada budget to support wounded military personnel or military families; the low level of inclusivity and accessibility; and the reluctance of some international organizations to fund sectors related to military personnel and veterans.

Some of the difficulties are addressed by hromadas through cooperation with non-governmental organizations. They provide humanitarian, legal, material and technical, psychological assistance to hromadas, conduct information campaigns and training for the population and local government bodies, and also provide social services. Established cooperation with local government bodies is important for the quality provision of aid by non-governmental organizations. This is necessary, in particular, for a proper assessment of hromadas’ needs and, accordingly, the ability to support them more effectively.

The study has recorded a trend of decreasing volumes of aid provided to hromadas by non-governmental organizations. At the same time, some organizations have shifted their priorities and begun to focus more on areas such as housing reconstruction assistance, support for population retraining, and business support. In addition, some organizations are facing reduced donor funding and are forced to adjust their activities to the new conditions.

The effectiveness of non-governmental organizations’ work in hromadas can be improved by coordination between organizations — for example, coordination led by the humanitarian cluster structure organized by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as the Relief Coordination Center in Kharkivska and Zaporizka Oblasts. Such coordination helps avoid duplication of aid and effectively distribute support among hromadas.

This study identified the following problems in the work of non-governmental organizations with hromadas: the prioritization of quantitative indicators over qualitative ones (number of beneficiaries instead of the effectiveness of the aid provided); unsystematic aid and, as a result, the lack of opportunity for hromadas to plan for the future; lack of flexibility in responding to changes and the needs of hromadas among large international organizations; and a mismatch between the priorities of organizations and the needs of hromadas.

The possibility for frontline hromadas to transition from humanitarian response to the development and implementation of long-term solutions is primarily determined by their proximity to the combat line. Representatives of hromadas located more than 30 km from the frontline considered it necessary to shift from providing in-kind aid to measures that can help the working-age population independently ensure a decent standard of living for themselves. In this way, the hromadas will be more resilient in the event of the cessation of support from non-governmental organizations or donors.

An important aspect in the context of implementing sustainable solutions is the development of the capacity of local government bodies and municipal institutions working in the field of social protection of the population. One of the biggest challenges for hromadas is the lack of qualified personnel and the inability to retain them in the hromada due to low salaries. This may become one of the priority areas where the involvement of non-governmental organizations and international partners is needed.To enhance the resilience of rural hromadas near the frontline, it is important to involve the population in decision making and to develop civil society. Local initiatives and civil society organizations have a deep understanding of the context and could work effectively and systematically to improve the well-being of the hromada’s population. Thanks to civil society, the hromada can become less dependent on external aid. At the same time, such initiatives face a significant lack of funding, which highlights the need for systematic support of local civil society organizations.