In light of yesterday’s discussion in the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees regarding the “ktizo” and the references in a print media report to the collection of €6 million by the State from the contribution that beneficiaries are required to pay for their participation in the Program, the Ministry of the Interior, in a statement, clarifies that “the amount of the beneficiaries’ contribution (ranging from €10,000 to €25,000 depending on the type of apartment), is not paid into any State fund, but into the account created in the name of the owners of each apartment building. The purpose of the beneficiaries’ contribution is to cover part of the cost of constructing the apartment building. Similarly, the State makes a contribution ranging from €30,000 to €50,000, thereby covering approximately 80% of the construction cost of each apartment building.”

Furthermore, it should be noted that, “in addition to participation through the purchase of a new apartment by paying a contribution, the Plan provided from the outset for the option to withdraw from the Plan, receiving a lump-sum payment, which includes the State’s contribution for each apartment and the value of the land share held by each owner, based on the recent appraisal by the Department of Cadastre and Surveying. Notably, the compensation amount received by those who withdraw from the Plan reaches €119,500. Forty-two beneficiaries exercised this right, for a total amount of €3,341,811.”

Regarding the progress of construction on the new apartment buildings, the Ministry of the Interior notes “The first two are in the final stages of construction and will be delivered shortly, while another six are currently under construction. At the same time, work on three additional apartment buildings is expected to begin by the end of the year, and urban planning permits for five more are expected to be issued. The pace at which construction of the new apartment buildings is progressing depends on the owners themselves; consequently, some projects have made significant progress, while others are experiencing delays for various reasons, including the refusal to vacate apartments.”

“With regard to the temporary housing of eligible residents until the completion of their apartment buildings, the State recognized from the outset the need to subsidize landlords’ rent for a reasonable period of time required for the construction of the new apartment buildings. Although this period has elapsed, as part of the social policy implemented by the State, the Ministry of the Interior continues to subsidize rent for eligible recipients, a practice that, however, should be reconsidered. “To meet this need, approximately €133,000 is made available to beneficiaries each month,” the announcement notes.

Finally, “regarding the second and third phases of the Plan, their start dates were moved up earlier, with the aim of repairing structural problems more quickly. It should be noted that in both phases, the State is expected to provide up to €300,000 for repairs and an additional €90,000 for the installation of an elevator where one does not exist. So far, 30 apartment buildings in the second phase have expressed interest in participating in the Program, while 41 apartment buildings that were initially included in the third phase have been transferred to the second phase so that their repair process can proceed more quickly.”

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