The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to BiH, Johann Sattler, handed over the keys to 48 new apartments for housing families of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons in BiH in the Banja Luka settlement of Kuljani.
The project is being implemented within the Regional Housing Program, for which the European Union, as the largest donor of this program, has allocated 236 million euros in grants.
The President of the Republic of Srpska, Željka Cvijanović, assessed that the Regional Housing Program is a good program that shows the ability of different levels of government to cooperate in solving the housing problems of refugees and displaced persons.
– Today, by solving this problem, 48 families who could not solve the housing problem before were permanently taken care of. These are families that are also socially endangered and belong to sensitive categories of society – said Cvijanović.
She reminded me that many similar projects have been realized since the war, some thanks to the institutions of the Republic of Srpska.
Cvijanovic thanked the European Union, which is the largest donor in the program, the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees in the Council of Ministers, the Government of the Republic of Srpska and the city of Banja Luka.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska, Radovan Višković, stated that Srpska has so far solved the housing issue for about 700 beneficiaries through the Regional Housing Program.
– We expect this program and about 1,050 more housing units in Srpska to be completed in the next two years – Višković pointed out and wished the users a better life and happiness in the new apartments.
The Head of the EU Delegation, Johann Sattler, thanked the authorities of the Republic of Srpska, BiH and the city of Banja Luka who took an active part in this program.
The mayor of Banja Luka, Igor Radojičić, pointed out that the construction of another 50 social housing apartments in the settlement of Ada will begin in two weeks.
– These people have been waiting for years, maybe decades, for a solution to the housing problem – said Radojičić.
He added that the City of Banja Luka set aside around 600,000 KM for the construction of these apartments.
The Minister for Human Rights and Refugees in the Council of Ministers, Miloš Lučić, stated that the facilities were built according to the standards of modern housing and that they remain in the permanent ownership of the local communities.
Within this program, the EU has so far allocated around 64 million euros to BiH, and 1,600 housing units have been built so far, while the construction of an additional 1,600 housing units is expected by the end of 2022.
The handover was attended by the President of the Republic of Srpska, Željka Cvijanović, the Prime Minister Radovan Višković and the Mayor of Banja Luka, Igor Radojičić.
TST
