The contracts with representatives from 9 municipalities and towns were signed today in Stara Pazova. Within the second RHP Serbia sub-project, 200 apartments for refugees will be built in Šid, Sremska Mitrovica, Šabac, Kruševac, Prokuplje, Paraćin, Kikinda, Bajina Bašta and Vršac.
Ivica Dačić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Cucić, Commissioner for Refugees and Migration, Michael Davenport, EU Ambassador, Simon Henshaw, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration of the United States, Jean-Daniel Ruch, Ambassador of Switzerland, Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, Vice-Governor of the Council of Europe’s Development Bank, Michael Uyehara, Deputy Head of OSCE Mission to Serbia, Eduardo Arboleda, UNHCR Representative for Serbia participated at the signing of the contracts.
Within the second RHP Serbia sub-project, worth over 13 million EUR, construction of 200 apartments and 120 prefabricated houses was planned, as well as provision of 300 construction material packages and 250 village houses.
Upon signing of contracts with municipalities’ and towns’ representatives, high officials had the opportunity to pay a visit to Tepšić family in Krnješevci village, near Stara Pazova, one of the first beneficiary families that received construction material to finish their house. Tepšić is one of 125 families from the final list of beneficiaries selected to receive package of building material within the first SRB sub-project of the Regional Housing Programme. The implementation of the Programme has started on the field with delivery of first 25 packages of building materials funded as the Republic of Serbia contribution to RHP fund.
„This is an important day for all of us who have been working on providing housing solutions to these people. I will repeat once again that we are moving people in, and not out, and that already for years we have been managing to provide an average of five housing solution per day for refugees and displaced persons. Funded from the state budget and donors, so far we have managed to provide a new home for about 14.500 refugee families and empowered financially about 20.000 families.
Today we can see on the field the first beneficiaries in their new homes thanks to the Regional Housing Programme, a great day for all of us. The public call for the second and the third sub-projects will soon be announced and we also expect the signing of the Grant Agreement for the fourth sub-project, making the implementation of RHP in Serbia very successful”, said Vladimir Cucić, Commissioner for Refugees and Migration.
Regional Housing programme is the joint initiative of the Republic of Serbia, Bosnia i Herzegovina, Montenegro and Republic of Croatia, with the aim to provide housing solutions for 27.000 most vulnerable refugee families, i.e. around 74.000 people in the Region. Out of this number, 16.780 families, around 45.00 people are in Serbia. Regional Housing Programme in Serbia will be implemented through several sub-projects within next five years.
The first RHP Serbia sub-project, through which the beneficiary from Krnješevci received the housing solution, is worth more than two million euros and consists of 70 prefabricated houses and 125 packages of building materials.
Regional Housing Programme in Serbia is worth 330 million euros and the overall amount in all four countries is 584 million euros. The Programme is financed by the European Union, as the biggest donor, the U.S., Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Turkey, Luxemburg, Cyprus, Romania, Check Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Information about the beneficiary family
Dragan Tepsić (59), his wife Dragica (62) and son Dagomir (32) were banished during Croatian action „Storm”in august 1995. Before that they lived in Croatian town Peščanica, in the municipality of Vrgin Most. Upon their exile, they lived with their relatives in Inđija, Kovin and Vojka. Finally they settled in Krnješevci, Stara Pazova, where they still live in private accommodation.
They bought a plot and started building the house 14 years ago. Building materials which they received through RHP Serbia first sub-project, will allow them to finish their house.
Dragomir married Aleksandra (27). They have two daughters Helena (6) and Selena (4).
For more information you may contact Ivan Miskovic, Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia – 064 828 16 94, [email protected]
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