12 Roma families received keys to new apartments in Orlovsko naselje in Belgrade. Construction of apartments was funded by the EU with more than EUR3.5 million, whereas the City of Belgrade provided land and infrastructure.
I would like to thank Delegation of the European Union, because this would not be possible without them. The City provided land and infrastructure, but the EU Delegation provided money for construction, said Mayor of the City of Belgrade Sinisa Mali during the ceremony of handing apartment keys.
Mali stressed that apartments were assigned to families hailing from unhygienic settlements of Belville and Gazela, and added that was the first group of a total of 170 families for whom the City of Belgrade and European Union would provide adequate housing.
This is part of the project Let’s Build Home Together, implemented by the City of Belgrade and Delegation of European Union to Serbia, Mali explained and announced that by the year’s end, a total of 68 families would move into new homes.
Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said he was particularly delighted that the EU was able to assist in improving living conditions for one of the most vulnerable social groups in Serbia, that is Roma community.
Ensuring adequate housing conditions and new homes are necessary in order to improve quality of your lives and make your integration – including education, health and employment – into society more successful, Davenport said.
He also said that European Union finances the housing project, whose beneficiaries are 170 families, with over EUR3.5 million euros, as well as that all segments of the project were implemented jointly with the City of Belgrade.
European Union will continue to support the improvement of position of Roma and other vulnerable communities, Davenport said and congratulated Roma families on moving into their new apartments.
