2023/24 Shelter and NFI Winter Support for Vulnerable Frontline and IDP Households in Ukraine ltpgtGiven extensive damage to 1.4 million homes, $10.5 billion in damage and losses to energy infrastructure, the exhaustion of coping strategies and savings, and an anticipated high level of winter humanitarian needs by families on the frontline and internally displaced people (IDP), CORE proposes a two-pronged approach to deliver life-saving winterization support from October 2023 to March 2024 focused on rental assistance for IDPs in Lviv and solid fuel distribution to households on the frontline in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.  lt/pgtltpgtltbrgtRental Assistance: Lviv hosts the highest number of IDPs in Western Ukraine (IOM: 234,000 in July 2023). To support shelter, integration, and protection outcomes, CORE will expand its current UHF-funded rental assistance program for IDP households in Lviv to secure private housing in time for winter for an additional 200 households, beginning with an existing wait list. Support will be available for IDPs living in collective centers to secure private housing and those that have recent rental agreements but are challenged to cover costs. Households must continue to meet agreed upon existing vulnerability criteria to be eligible for inclusion in the proposed project's rental assistance component.  lt/pgtltpgtltbrgtHouseholds in the rental assistance component will receive six months of assistance for rent ($200/month) and utilities ($50/month). Amounts are based on Cash Working Group and Shelter/NFI Cluster recommendations and CORE market monitoring of price trends. Cash transfers will be made directly to participating head of households according to rental contracts secured through this project or recent contracts verified by CORE. CORE will pay realtor fees for households receiving support through this project to identify and secure an apartment lease. lt/pgtltpgt ltbrgtSolid Fuel Distribution: In the East, households that have remained or returned face multiple barriers to heating their homes this winter. It is probable Russian attacks on energy and utility infrastructure will resume as temperatures drop, requiring household-based rather than centralized heating solutions to avoid negative health outcomes, including illness, hypothermia, and death.  lt/pgtltpgtltbrgtThe surge in demand for solid fuels such as firewood, coal, and brickettes has driven price increases. With savings and coping strategies depleted, and livelihoods opportunities scarce, households on the frontline will be hard pressed to afford these life-saving resources for winter. Landmines and ongoing insecurity create additional challenges for households to secure heating fuel – supply chain disruptions have diminished the level of resources available on the market and households experience mobility barriers to reach markets for supplies. To address these multifaceted challenges, CORE, and local partner, 100% Life. Zaporizhzhia (100% Life), will procure and distribute solid fuel (brickettes) to 2,000 households in Huliaipole Hromada (located 10km from 23 August frontline) in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, which has suffered the greatest level of energy infrastructure damage in Ukraine.  lt/pgtltpgtltbrgtCORE and 100% Life will provide three rounds of home delivery of solid fuel during the winter to avoid supply availability constraints and storage issues. Assistance will cover the cluster recommendation for brickettes per household for the entire season (4.5 metric tons). CORE will manage procurement and targeting, and 100% Life will conduct distribution.  lt/pgtltpgtltbrgtCORE will follow cluster guidance on targeting from the Shelter/NFI Ukraine Winterization Recommendations to prioritize households for solid fuel distribution. We will continue coordinating with local administrations to understand needs and conduct operations effectively and safely. Beyond prioritizing households in frontline areas not receiving other government assistance, CORE will prioritize women-headed households, the elderly, people with disabilities (PWD), and pregnant and lactating women for solid heating fuel assistance.ltbrgtlt/pgtltp class="sceditor-nlf"gtltbrgtlt/pgt