In a picturesque part of the city of Čačak in Serbia, near the banks of the river Morava, keys to 25 newly-built Regional Housing Programme (RHP) apartments were delivered to refugee families on 27 April.

In addition to the beneficiaries themselves, the ceremony was attended by Nataša Stanisavljević, Commissioner for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia; Gerhard Salzer, Programme Manager at the European Union Delegation to Serbia; Milun Todorović, Mayor of Čačak, and Dušan Kovačević, Head of the Public Sector Projects Implementation Unit Ltd., amongst others.

Congratulating the beneficiaries on their new homes, Commissioner Stanisavljević also proudly shared the achievements of the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia (KIRS) with regard to the delivery of new housing units under the RHP: “In the coming weeks, we will gradually exceed the number of 7 000 families accommodated,” she said.

Gerhard Salzer, Programme Manager at the European Union Delegation to Serbia, underlined the importance of EU support for the RHP. “The EU has been supporting these activities for years to provide housing solutions for more than 30 000 people who lost their homes during the 1990’s conflicts in former Yugoslavia. The Regional Housing Programme helps to overcome the legacy of the past and open a new chapter in people’s lives,” he said.