Housing Certificate and Housing Voucher: What Is the Difference and What They Have in Common — Explanation

The Ministry of Community Development and Territories of Ukraine clarified the difference between the housing certificate and the housing voucher, which operate within the state eRecovery program that has been helping citizens whose homes were destroyed or damaged as a result of Russian aggression for over three years.

Today, the program provides several support mechanisms for purchasing housing: a housing certificate, monetary compensation for rebuilding housing on one's own land plot, and a housing voucher.

Who the mechanisms are intended for

The housing certificate and monetary compensation are intended for owners of housing destroyed due to hostilities. The housing voucher is introduced for internally displaced persons from temporarily occupied territories. At the first stage, it can be used by IDPs with the status of combatants or persons with disabilities due to the war.

What the certificate and voucher have in common

Both mechanisms operate based on the Register of damaged and destroyed property and require submitting an application on a declarative basis.

Documents are reviewed by local commissions at local self-government bodies or military administrations. After verifying the data and documents, the decision is approved by the authorized body.

The application review period in both cases is up to 30 calendar days.

For the purchase of one housing unit, several certificates or vouchers can be combined if the funds for them are simultaneously reserved. When planning transactions, it is important to consider the financing schedule.

A prohibition on alienation is established for the purchased housing for a period of five years. The same rule applies to housing built with compensation funds.

Both mechanisms require verification of the applicant and mandatory submission of a certificate of no criminal record.

Who can receive assistance

Compensation in the form of a housing certificate or funds for rebuilding can be received by Ukrainian citizens — owners of destroyed housing. A mandatory condition is the presence of ownership data in the State Register of Property Rights to Real Estate and confirmation of the destruction fact.

In the case of joint ownership, compensation is distributed among co-owners proportionally to their shares.

The housing voucher is intended for IDPs from temporarily occupied territories who belong to specified categories and do not own housing in the government-controlled territory of Ukraine. Having housing in temporarily occupied territories does not affect the right to receive a voucher.

Different legal basis

The housing certificate and housing voucher are regulated by different normative acts.

Compensation for destroyed housing is defined by the Law of Ukraine "On Compensation for Damage and Destruction of Certain Categories of Real Estate Objects..." and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 600 dated May 30, 2023.

The housing voucher was introduced by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 1176 dated September 22, 2025.

How to submit an application

Both mechanisms operate on a declarative basis, but the submission methods differ.

For compensation for destroyed housing, an application can be submitted via the Diia app or portal, as well as through CNAP (Centers for Administrative Services) or a notary.

For the housing voucher, at the first stage, applications are accepted only through the Diia mobile app. From the end of July, expansion is planned — through the Diia portal, CNAPs, and notaries.

Amount of assistance

For the housing certificate and compensation for rebuilding, the amount is determined individually and depends on the housing area, location, year of construction, number of rooms, and other characteristics.

The housing voucher has a fixed amount — 2 million UAH.

What the funds can be used for

For compensation for destroyed housing, two options are provided:

• a housing certificate for purchasing new housing;
• monetary compensation for construction on one's own land plot.

The housing voucher is used exclusively for purchasing housing.

Funds reservation

For the housing certificate, the reservation period of funds is 30 calendar days.

For the housing voucher — 60 calendar days.

If the funds are not used within the specified period, they are returned to the program to finance other applicants.

Ownership rights and their features

In the case of compensation for destroyed housing, ownership rights to the destroyed object are terminated, and the state acquires the right to claim against the aggressor state for the compensation amount.

In the case of the housing voucher, termination of ownership rights to housing in temporarily occupied territories is not required. After purchasing housing, the right to claim against the aggressor state is also transferred.

Inheritance of rights

The right to compensation for destroyed housing can be inherited.

For the housing voucher, such a possibility is not provided.

Different tools of one program

Both mechanisms are part of eRecovery but are aimed at different categories of citizens: the certificate and compensation — for owners of destroyed housing, the voucher — for IDPs from temporarily occupied territories.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel t.me/sudua and to Google News SUD.UA, as well as to our VIBER and WhatsApp pages on Facebook and Instagram to stay informed about the most important events.