The number of homeless people in Ukraine could rise to 100,000
In Ukraine, the number of people without permanent housing may be as high as 100,000. Experts have cited this estimate, highlighting the scale of the problem.
According to experts, it is difficult to determine the exact number of homeless people; however, the war, forced displacement, and the difficult economic situation have significantly contributed to the rise in the number of people who have lost their homes.
“Data from the Ministry of Social Policy indicate approximately 12,500 homeless people. Based on a study we conducted with the National Institute of Demography to estimate the number of homeless people, our figure is around 100,000. But this does not include those homeless people we were unable to reach. In other words, we surveyed people at municipal and community shelters and recorded those at food distribution sites, but not those who do not turn to such homeless assistance centers at all. If we include this category of people as well, experts estimate that the number of homeless people in Ukraine today exceeds one million,” said Dovbenko.
According to her, the vast majority of homeless people are men (69%). The largest age group consists of people aged 41 to 60—about 86%.
According to the study, 63% of the homeless have been without housing for more than two years. Experts cite the war, family conflicts, and real estate fraud as the main reasons for losing a permanent place of residence.
“Among the homeless people we surveyed, the most vulnerable group is IDPs, who make up 40%... This indicates that the state has not yet managed to resolve the problem of IDPs finding themselves in situations where they cannot secure housing and ultimately end up on the streets,” she noted.
Veterans also constitute a large at-risk group, the expert added.
She emphasized that the stereotypical view of a homeless person as someone with an addiction is exaggerated. Specifically, 63% of homeless people say they have never had an alcohol addiction, and 92% say they have never had a drug addiction. At the same time, 59% of homeless people rate their health as poor or very poor.
In addition, 78% of respondents said they are unemployed, while only 6% have steady jobs. Government benefits top the list of income sources for the homeless.
Meanwhile, a public opinion poll showed that 76% of people believe the full-scale war is the cause of the worsening homelessness crisis.
At the same time, the overwhelming majority of respondents (89%) agree that homeless people are full-fledged members of society, 64% feel compassion when encountering homeless people, yet only 14% view the actual public attitude toward the homeless as positive.
The study “Homelessness in Ukraine Amid the War: An Assessment of the Situation and Public Sentiment” was conducted in several stages and included homeless individuals, experts, and the general population of Ukraine.
Using the face-to-face interview method, from April 1 to 30, 2026, 1,090 homeless individuals aged 18 and older who visit service centers and food distribution points in Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Lviv were surveyed. At a 95% confidence level, the margin of error for each city does not exceed 5%.
On April 14–15, 2026, a survey was conducted among 250 homeless individuals aged 18 and older who use the services of assistance centers and meal distribution sites in the same cities. The maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level is 6.2%.
On the same dates, an expert survey was conducted among ten representatives of the administrations of institutions that provide assistance to the homeless, and a nationwide survey of the Ukrainian population involving 1,200 respondents aged 18 and older from all regions of Ukraine, with the exception of the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas, as well as areas where Ukrainian mobile network coverage was unavailable at the time of the study. The latter survey was conducted using the CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing) method based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers. The maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.8%.
The study was conducted by the Charitable Foundation “Depaul Ukraine” in collaboration with the “Rating” Sociological Group and the Mykhailo Ptukha Institute of Demography and Quality of Life Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
This was reported by Maria Dovbenko, a representative of the “Depaul” Charitable Foundation, during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Veterans’ Rights, citing data from a study assessing the situation regarding homelessness in Ukraine.
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