To expand access to affordable mortgages, Ukraine needs stable sources of long-term funding and financial instruments that can channel capital into the housing sector. An important part of this work is aligning Ukraine’s regulatory framework with EU standards and drawing on international experience.
These issues were among the key topics discussed during international events held as part of the 39th Plenary Meeting of the European Covered Bond Council (ECBC), which also hosted the third meeting of the Advisory Council on housing finance.
The Plenary Meeting brought together representatives of financial institutions, investors, regulators, public authorities and international experts. Discussions focused on the development of the covered bond market, regulatory changes, the role of capital markets in mobilising long-term funding, investor demand and the future of housing finance.
As part of the Plenary Meeting, Oleg Zhuravlov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of PrJSC Ukrainian Financial Housing Company (UFHC), took part in the panel discussion “Housing Affordability and Banking Competitiveness in the EU: Finding the Sweet Spot”, which focused on housing affordability and the competitiveness of the banking sector.
“The key challenge for Ukraine is the gap between household purchasing power and the cost of market funding. Subsidies can bridge this gap temporarily, but a sustainable solution requires long-term funding within the system. This is why we are focused on developing the secondary mortgage market and aligning our legislation with EU standards. This is both a response to the housing crisis and part of Ukraine’s European integration path,” said Oleg Zhuravlov.
The panel also featured Luca Bertalot (EMF-ECBC), Károly Takács (European Investment Bank), Dyfed Aubrey (UN-Habitat), Sergiu Oprescu (Chairman of the EMF and the Romanian Association of Banks), and Frank Will (Chairman of the ECBC EU Legislation Working Group, HSBC).
Another area of focus was the exchange of experience in developing secondary mortgage markets. The UFHC delegation participated as an invited guest in the quarterly meeting of the International Secondary Mortgage Market Association, where participants discussed current practices in capital mobilisation and the development of relevant financial instruments.
The Ukrainian delegation also took part in the Covered Bond Congress 2026, organised by FT Live in partnership with the ECBC. Discussions covered developments in the global covered bond market, regulatory changes, investor demand and the role these instruments can play in mobilising long-term funding.
Participation in these professional platforms gives Ukraine access to practical experience from countries with developed housing finance systems and helps shape the instruments needed to attract long-term capital to the housing sector.
