A major scandal has erupted in the Sievierodonetsk community over the results of a lottery for preferential housing loans targeting internally displaced persons (IDPs) over the age of 60. Community members have pointed out glaring discrepancies in the participant lists and accused organizers of rigging the results, threatening legal action and formal law enforcement complaints. Concerns have also been raised regarding the potential inclusion of individuals currently residing in temporarily occupied territories (TOT).
The lottery under the preferential housing credit program took place on June 16. Out of the applications collected between May 11 and June 1, 17 winners were selected, and their data was published on the official State Fund for Support of Youth Housing Construction (Dermolodzhytlo) website. However, immediately after the results were announced, a wave of public outrage swept through social media.
The backlash was triggered by significant discrepancies between the candidate list published by the Sievierodonetsk City Military Administration (CMA) on June 8 and the final registry. Participants noticed that applicant numbers had shifted, and the total number of candidates had dropped from 1,414 to 1,412.
«How is this possible? Five minutes before your lottery, our number was 1,079, and after the draw, it became 1,078? I demand an investigation!» Olga Titova, a Sievierodonetsk resident, wrote on Facebook. Her relative participated in the program, but another individual was declared the winner under her original number.
Activists and volunteers documented that the updated registry, dated June 11, appeared on the CMA website only after the lottery had already concluded. Social media users questioned how the registry could undergo modifications a week after the official application deadline. Furthermore, the community is demanding clarity on whether candidates underwent proper verification regarding their IDP status and actual physical location.
In response to the mounting public outcry, the head of the Sievierodonetsk CMA, Yevheniya Boiko, issued an official video address. She explained that due to a massive volume of inquiries and data clarifications, the lists had been published multiple times, but clarified that the preliminary versions did not contain the official registration numbers.
«The single list with registration numbers for the lottery was transferred to Dermolodzhytlo on June 11, along with the transfer of 51 million hryvnias allocated by the administration to fund the program and provide housing for our people,» the CMA head stated.
According to the official, the data adjustments were purely technical, caused by filtering out duplicate entries, removing false information, and disqualifying applicants from other communities. Yevheniya Boiko emphasized that the only legitimate registry is held by Dermolodzhytlo, and the draw was conducted based on names rather than numbers. The situation remains under close public scrutiny.