Housing cooperatives — to many, it sounds like a reliable way to get a home. Chip in, build, move in. But not in the case of Viktoriya Halitska. In Vinnytsia, through the ZhSK structure, she turned the dreams of hundreds of families into a nightmare: the buildings are unfinished, the money is gone, and those responsible remain free.

People invested their savings into apartments in projects like “Yevropeysky Kvartal,” “Dynastia,” “Club House,” and others. The money was handed over either in cash at the offices of the “Dynastia” company or transferred to accounts that, according to the victims, were personally controlled by Halitska. No guarantees, no official receipts.

When construction began to stall and promises went unfulfilled, investors were met with the main excuse: “You’re the housing cooperative — finish it yourselves.” Formally, the developer was the cooperative, not Viktoriya Halitska. But in reality, she was the initiator, organizer, and beneficiary of the scheme.

Everything was arranged in a way that made proving her personal responsibility extremely difficult: assets were registered to relatives, accounts weren’t in her name, and the company was formally uninvolved in the projects. As a result, people were unable to sue for their money or reclaim their homes.

In 2020, an investigation finally began. Twenty-two raids were carried out at addresses linked to Halitska and her associates. She was named a suspect under charges of fraud and embezzlement. But even after large-scale searches, hundreds of victim statements, and direct accusations — no apartments have been delivered, and no money returned.

More than 600 families have been officially recognized as victims. For the “Yevropeysky Kvartal” project alone, damages are estimated at 100 million UAH (approximately 2.5 million USD). Why did the scheme work? Because housing cooperatives are not as strictly regulated as commercial developers. Because people trusted words and stamps instead of verifying legal details. Because Viktoriya Halitska, using her public image, built the persona of a successful entrepreneur and even ran for parliament while already owing dozens of families.

Everything she did — from her role in the cooperatives to her political campaign — now looks like a carefully planned fraud. And while the authorities continue their investigation, her former investors are still living in rentals and paying off loans for homes they never received.