On Monday, 22 July, a new building at 49 Ūnijas Street was opened for the long-term accommodation of Ukrainian civilians who arrived in Riga after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In 2023, the Department of Housing and Environment carried out renovation works in the residential premises on the second and third floors of 49 Ūnijas Street. The building's utilities are replaced, CCTV is installed and common areas are refurbished. After the renovation, the premises have been equipped with furniture, kitchen appliances and other household items.
"We have no right to get tired of the war, it continues in Ukraine, the brutality of the aggressor knows no bounds and Ukrainians are still forced to seek a safe haven for themselves and for their children. Since day one of the war, Riga has provided a home for those Ukrainians who have found their way here, not only shelter, but also the opportunity to find work in Riga, free tickets on public transport and other practical support. The long-term shelter is part of Riga City Council's direct assistance to Ukrainians who are fleeing the war," said the Chairperson of Riga City Council Vilnis Ķirsis.
"Every attack by an aggressor country strengthens us to help Ukraine and its people. Therefore, the municipality has renovated and adjusted the building at 49 Ūnijas Street for Ukrainian residents, which is an important support for those who have to experience the horrors of war, by providing temporary accommodation. In this building, Ukrainians will be able to receive multi-purpose social services in the "Paaudzes" day centre for children and adults, which is particularly important to help them recover from the horrors of war. Huge thanks to the Department of Housing and Environment for the project and the refurbishment of the building. No matter how hard and how long it takes, Riga is and will be with Ukraine and will support it until its victory," says Edvards Ratnieks, vice-mayor of Riga.
"Riga is currently accommodating 622 Ukrainian civilians. So far, this has been done through outsourcing (contracts with hostels and hotels). The preparation of the building at 49 Ūnijas Street for accommodation is another opportunity to help Ukrainian civilians who have arrived in Riga. I am glad that since the beginning of the war the municipality has been looking for new ways to help Ukraine and its people," says Pēteris Grūbe, Head of the Riga Support Centre for Ukrainians.
"I would like to say a big thank you to my colleagues and the collaborating institutions at the Department of Housing and Environment for the work they have done. A lot has been achieved with minimal resources. Previously, the building was a dormitory-type building, which Riga is no longer renovating, but converting into apartments. We can say that these premises have been given a new life in support of the Ukrainian people, where they can regain inner peace and prepare for the next steps in their lives," says Edijs Pelšs, Head of the Department of Housing and Environment.
The adaptation of the premises benefited from the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia in the amount of EUR 154,000 and the Riga City Council in the amount of EUR 220,000, of which EUR 50,000 was allocated for renovation works and EUR 170,000 for equipping the premises with the equipment necessary for living.
The second and third floors of the building have 44 rooms. The average size of a living room is 12 m2. This will allow a rapid response to the actual demand for accommodation. According to the renovations, the building will be able to accommodate up to 125 Ukrainian civilians.
At the same time, it must be taken into account that, in accordance with the generally accepted norms in the world, people of conflicting religions and regions, minors, unaccompanied minors, people of different sexes who do not know each other cannot be accommodated in the same room.
The ground floor of the building houses the multifunctional social services day centre for children and adults "Paaudzes", which also provides support to Ukrainian civilians.
Since 24 February 2022, 26,193 Ukrainian civilians have come to Riga seeking refuge from the war. Currently, 18,886 of them live in the city. Of the Ukrainian civilians who have found refuge in Riga, 63% are women and 37% are men.
A total of 6391 Ukrainian civilians have been provided with temporary accommodation in Riga since 2022. The city council currently provides accommodation to 615 people.
Since 24 February 2022, when the Russia began its full-scale attack on Ukraine, the Riga Municipality has provided continuous and extensive support to Ukraine in its fight against the invaders and continues to provide support to Ukrainian civilians coming to Riga as refugees.
Information prepared by: Sabīne Solovjeva, Project Coordinator for External Communications Department of Riga City Council Communication Administration, e-mail: sabine.solovjeva@riga.lv.
