On Thursday, 8 May, the Cypriot Government agreed to give refugees taking part in the Ktizo programme some money to help pay for improving and renovating the housing complexes where they will live.
These are the owners of 43 apartment buildings that will be demolished first as part of the project. The subsidy will be given to refugees who don't want to move into new housing.
The Ktizo programme, which started in April 2023 with a budget of 130 million euros, aims to create decent living conditions in the housing intended for refugees.
In the areas controlled by the state, there are 358 houses for this group of citizens. Many of them are thought to be old and possibly dangerous, especially because the area has a lot of earthquakes. Of all the houses, 245 are in good condition, 70 need to be repaired, and 43 have major structural problems that would cost too much to fix.
People living in these 43 buildings who choose not to move and get a subsidy will lose their right to tax credits, according to a Home Office statement.
People who agree to move into new public housing will have to pay some of the cost of their new flat.
- €10,000 for an apartment with one bedroom.
- Two-bedroom apartments cost €20,000.
- The price for a three-bedroom apartment is €25,000.
These amounts are about % of the market value of the respective housing. Four new buildings in Nicosia are currently being built. Two of these are in the Latia neighbourhood, and one each is in the Platy Aglatsia and Strovolos districts. At the same time, we are also getting building permits for four more projects. These will be in Nicosia, in the areas of Pallouriotissa and Anfoupoli, and in Limassol, in the areas of Linopetra and Kato Polemidia.
It is worth mentioning that the start of the second phase of the programme, which involves renovating 70 buildings, has been delayed.