Housing Solutions For Twenty Six Displaced Families In Kragujevac Thanks To A Donation From The European Union

Beneficiaries of twenty six EU-funded housing units in Kragujevac received the keys to their new apartments today. The keys were handed over by Radomir Nikolić, Mayor of the City of Kragujevac, Oskar Benedikt, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, Ivan Gerginov, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees and Migrations of the Republic of Serbia, and Hans Friedrich Schodder, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in a ceremony held in Velimira Stevanovića street, settlement Bresnica in Kragujevac.

The new apartments were built for the families of refugees and internally displaced persons, accommodated in the last collective centre “Trmbas” in Kragujevac, as well as for the socially vulnerable families from the local community within the EU project “For a Better Life“. The project, funded by the EU with EUR 14.2 million, aims to improve living conditions for forced migrants in Serbia and help Serbian authorities to close all remaining collective centres. The value of the works in Kragujevac is EUR 536,000.

Commissariat for Refugees and Migration is the institution in charge of resolving housing and other issues of refugees and internally displaced persons and closure of collective centres. The Commissariat stands behind the concept and has proposed the project as well as ensured participation of the Republic of Serbia amounting to EUR 840,000. The City of Kragujevac, as an investor, provided the construction land with adequate infrastructure in the Velimira Stevanovića street, settlement of Bresnica. UNHCR provided technical and financial support, designs, construction and equipping of the this social housing building and others within the framework of the project “For a Better Life“ amounting to 5% of the entire project, together with its partner Vizija. The beneficiaries were selected by the Commission comprised of the representatives from the City, Centeer for Social welfare, SCRM , UNHCR and Vizija.

Twenty six beneficiary families: twenty IDP families – 63 individuals, one single member refugee family and five domicile socially vulnerable families – 17 persons received a new home in the building which uses the concept of social housing in supportive environment. The families have the right to use the units as long as they are in a situation of social need. According to the concept of the project, the building has a host family (5 member family) which acts as a link between the residents and the Centre for Social Welfare “Solidarnost”, providing them with necessary additional support.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Project: For a better life: Support to the improvement of living conditions of forced migrants and closure of collective centres

Donation: European Union, IPA 2012

Implementation: UNHCR in partnership with NGO Vizija

Partners: - City Kragujevac

- UNHCR/NVO Vizija

- Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia

- Center for Social Work “Solidarnost“

- City Housing Agency

Year: 2016

Value of works in Kragujevac : EUR 536,000 (construction works, equipment and furniture)

TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

No. of buildings: one apartment building with two entrances (equipped with disabled persons access ramps)

No. of floors: ground + 3 floors

No. of housing units: 26 equipped/furnished units ( 8 studios + 10 one-bedroom apartments + 8 two-bedroom apartments)

No. оf storerooms: 26

No. of common rooms: 1