In Ireland, a gradual winding down of the assistance program for those providing housing to Ukrainians has been announced.
The Irish government plans to gradually phase out financial support for individuals who offer accommodation to Ukrainians and reduce the use of hotels for their placement.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Irish Times.
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Main points:
- Payments for providing housing to Ukrainians (ARP) will be reduced from 600 to 400 euros.
- The support program is set to be completely phased out by March 2027.
- The government is gradually moving away from housing Ukrainians in hotels for tourism purposes.
- As of March 1, there are restrictions: rental market housing can no longer participate in the program.
- The number of Ukrainians in state housing has decreased threefold – from 60,000 to 19,200 people.
- The goal of the changes is to encourage independent living and relieve pressure on the rental market.
Payments will be reduced and gradually canceled
This concerns the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) – a monthly tax-free payment for individuals hosting Ukrainians in their homes.
Under the government’s plan:
- the payment will be reduced from 600 to 400 euros per month;
- the program will be extended until March 2027;
- at the same time, it will be gradually phased out.
Government officials note that the program is already “approaching completion,” and its reduction will occur gradually.
How many people are covered by the program
The ARP was introduced in 2022 following the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As of now:
- approximately 42,000 Ukrainians have been accommodated under the program;
- more than 23,500 housing units are being utilized;
- the monthly cost of the program is 14.5 million euros.
Initially, the payment was 400 euros, which was increased to 800 euros in December 2022, and then reduced to 600 euros.
Why the program is changing
The Irish authorities explain the changes for several reasons:
- the need for a gradual transition of Ukrainians to independent living;
- the impact of the program on the rental housing market.
In particular, the government believes that the payments may have encouraged property owners to withdraw their properties from the rental market in favor of participating in the program.
It is also noted that the tax-free nature of the payments made them more attractive than standard rental agreements in some cases.
New restrictions for housing
New rules come into effect on March 1:
- housing that was rented out before 2022 can no longer participate in the program;
- payments will only be maintained for those providing rooms in their own homes or second homes that were not previously on the rental market.
Hotels are set to be freed up
Separately, the government announced its intention to gradually move away from housing Ukrainians in hotels to return these spaces to the tourism sector.
Currently:
- there are 531 contracts for housing Ukrainians (hotels, guest houses, B&B);
- this amounts to approximately 22,450 spaces.
The number of such contracts is already decreasing:
- in 2026, 25 contracts were terminated;
- in 2025 – 195;
- in 2024 – 420.
How many Ukrainians remain in state housing
According to government data, currently:
- about 19,200 Ukrainians live in state housing;
- in November 2023, this figure reached 60,000.
Newly arrived Ukrainians receive temporary accommodation in state centers for up to 30 days.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that a large-scale special operation against illegal migration was conducted in Poland, during which more than 140 foreigners were detained, including dozens of Ukrainians. Some of them have already been issued decisions for forced return to their homeland.
We also reported that thousands of Ukrainians in the U.S. found themselves in legal uncertainty and at risk of deportation after policy changes. Some humanitarian programs were halted, causing people to lose stable status and guarantees of staying in the country.
