Refugees and internally displaced persons, 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 Migration of the Republic of Serbia, and Hans Friedrich Schodder, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in a ceremony held in Velimira Stevanića 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 disadvantaged families from the local community within the EU project “For A Better Life“. The project, funded by the EU with EUR14.2 million, aims to improve living conditions for forced migrants in Serbia and help Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of Serbia to close the remaining collective centres. The value of the works in Kragujevac is EUR536,000.
Photo: Shubuckl
Twenty six beneficiary families (81 persons), including twenty IDP families (63 individuals), one single member refugee family from “Trmbas” collective centre and five domicile socially disadvantaged families (17 persons) received new homes in the building based on the concept of social housing in supportive environment. The families are entitled to use these 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 (five member family) which acts as a link between the residents and the Centre for social welfare “Solidarnost,” providing them with necessary additional support.
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 EUR840,000. The City of Kragujevac, as an investor, provided the construction land with adequate infrastructure in Velimira Stevanića street, settlement of Bresnica. The UNHCR provided technical and financial support, design, construction and equipping of this social housing building and other facilities within the project “For A Better Life“ amounting to five per cent of the project value, in partnership with NGO “Vizija”. The beneficiaries have been selected by an expert commission comprised of representatives of the City, Centre for social welfare, SCRM , UNHCR and NGO Vizija.
