The draft regulations will now be reviewed by the interior ministry, Dziemianowicz-Bąk told reporters.
She said the government aims to introduce long-term rules guaranteeing children's right to remain in the centers while using temporary measures and cooperation with local authorities to bridge the gap.
"No one, regardless of their status or citizenship, will be left without support," she said.
The move follows the expiration on Tuesday of transitional support measures for Ukrainians displaced by Russia's invasion.
The transition period, introduced on March 5, allowed Ukrainians already living in collective accommodation centers to remain under previous rules until July 1.
Aid organizations warned that the new regulations left some Ukrainian children without guaranteed free accommodation.
While adults meeting certain eligibility criteria—such as temporary guardians and parents with disabilities—could continue staying free of charge, their children were not covered.
Some operators of collective accommodation centers began demanding substantial fees for children's stays, according to media reports.
Janina Ochojska, founder of the Polish Humanitarian Action charity, told state news agency PAP that several thousand people could face eviction as a result.
Dziemianowicz-Bąk said vulnerable groups would continue to receive free accommodation, describing such support as a basic obligation of the state to help refugees achieve independence and find work.
She acknowledged that covering accommodation costs for children of eligible residents remained unresolved and said the ministry had adopted a two-track approach.
The issue affects several hundred children nationwide, she said.
Provincial governors have been instructed to work with local governments to provide financial assistance, including special allowances, to cover accommodation costs until new regulations take effect, according to Dziemianowicz-Bąk.
"These are temporary solutions," she said, adding that no child should be left without care or lose access to collective housing because of the regulatory changes.
Poland's commissioner for human rights has warned that the revised rules, which took effect on July 1, significantly narrow the categories of people entitled to free accommodation.
The commissioner said children under temporary protection would be among those most affected. Other groups losing automatic eligibility include guardians caring for three or more children if all are older than 7, some foster families, guardians appointed by Ukrainian authorities and adult students in full-time secondary education after the school year in which they turn 20.
The commissioner said he had previously warned lawmakers that reducing access to collective accommodation could worsen living conditions for vulnerable refugees and increase the risk of homelessness and social exclusion.
(pu/gs)
Source: PAP