IOM Moldova — Housing Ecosystem Assessment is a housing-policy assessment and pilot-project initiative in the Republic of Moldova focused on expanding social and affordable housing. According to the United Nations in Moldova publication, it examines structural weaknesses in Moldova’s housing system—especially the legacy of privatization, the weak management of privately owned apartment buildings, an unregulated rental market, and limited housing credit—and links these issues to worsening affordability pressures after the arrival of Ukrainian refugees.1
The initiative was developed through collaboration between the UN Migration Agency (IOM) and Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI).1 Its purpose is twofold: first, to analyse housing policies and identify bottlenecks affecting affordable housing for refugees from Ukraine and vulnerable host communities; second, to design a pilot housing project based on those findings.1 The pilot proposal centers on a property owned by the Municipality of Chisinau, where unused buildings would be repurposed into housing for a mixed target group, including refugees and other people affected by housing affordability challenges.1
In scope, the work is national, but its practical focus is concentrated in Chisinau and in urban housing markets affected by displacement and affordability pressures.1 The initiative is closely connected to affordable and sustainable housing because it combines policy assessment with a reuse-oriented housing model that seeks to convert existing buildings rather than rely only on new construction.1 The publication date on the page is 11 March 2025, indicating that this is a recent policy and project-development effort rather than a long-established standalone organisation.1