LocationsOnline courses will help Ukrainians learn how to become effective and responsible homeowners
Kyiv, 19 April 2021 – The European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine have announced the official launch of a series of online courses called “HOAs: The ABCs of success.”
The courses are designed for anyone who is thinking about setting up a Homeowners Association (HOA) so as to manage their multi-apartment building more effectively. They will also be of use to those who would like to launch their own energy efficiency projects.
The courses provide valuable information about the management of multi-apartment buildings, the basics of technical maintenance, and performing accounting for jointly owned property.
According to UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine Dafina Gercheva, the online courses provide a step-by-step guide to effective management of multi-apartment buildings. While there has been some progress in increasing energy efficiency in multi-apartment buildings, more still must be done in Ukraine to ensure energy and heat consumption in the housing sector is efficient, and progress can be made on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Gercheva said.
“Top-notch management of multi-apartment buildings brings multiple dividends, not just residents’ living comfort,” said Gercheva. ”Homeowners are local leaders and activists who are agents of change and social transformation.”
“I am pleased to see more and more Ukrainians getting access to knowledge, expertise and good practice in establishing and managing HOAs.”
The three online courses cover the following topics: “Setting-up and starting a HOA”, “Accounting for HOAs” and “Technical Recommendations on Multi-apartment Building Maintenance for HOAs.”
All three courses are freely available on the Prometheus educational platform. The courses can be taken in any order, according to the student’s own needs. Access to the Internet is the only thing required to enrol in the courses, which can be done at any time – studying is not connected to calendar deadlines, so users can work on the courses at their own pace. The online courses were developed as part of the Homeowners of Ukraine for Sustainable Energy Solutions (HOUSES)” project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine. Overall, the project aims to mobilize Ukrainian homeowners to improve energy efficiency in the buildings in which they live. Over the past two years, UNDP supported the establishment of more than 2,000 HOAs in Ukraine. About 5,000 HOAs have already received assistance in the form of free training, consultations and knowledge-sharing among communities.
Media inquiries: Anton Sydorenko, UNDP Communications Consultant, anton.sydorenko@undp.org, communications.ukraine@undp.org
Background
The EU/UNDP “Home Owners of Ukraine for Sustainable Energy Solutions” (HOUSES) project was launched in 2018. For more than two years, the project has helped Ukrainians set up new homeowner associations, and provided support to existing ones. Over this time, the project organised a public information campaign at the national, regional and local levels to inform the public in general and local communities in particular about new energy efficiency legislation, Energy Efficiency Fund programmes, and the fund’s financing mechanisms.
The project has also carried out a series of group and individual consultations with active homeowners who wanted to set up HOAs, members of pre-existing HOAs, and local authorities, and provides advice on accounting and financial management of HOAs, and how to seek and obtain financing for home improvement projects.
