As the end of 2022 draws near, the pace of Regional Housing Programme (RHP) activity shows little sign of abating, as a further 25 refugee and displaced families received keys to newly-built RHP apartments in Šid and Lučani, Serbia, on 15 and 16 December. The first of the ceremonies, which marked the delivery of keys to ten families in the municipality of Šid on 15 December, was attended by Svetlana Velimirović, Deputy Commissioner for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia; Zoran Semenović, Mayor of the Municipality of Šid; Mirjana Maksimović, Programme Manager at the European Union Delegation to Serbia;  Ružica Banda, National Human Rights Officer at the OSCE Mission to Serbia, and Jovan Lazarov, Deputy Director of the Public Sector Projects Implementation Unit Ltd., amongst others.

On behalf of the European Union – the main donor to the RHP – Mirjana Maksimović congratulated the families on their new homes and emphasised the determination of the EU to support socially vulnerable people. “I am glad that we will have the opportunity to open many more buildings before this programme closes next year,” she said.

The celebrations continued in Lučani the following day, where a further 15 RHP beneficiary families received new homes.  On behalf of the refugee families present, RHP beneficiary Radoslav Mirković from Lučani took the opportunity to thank all donors and stakeholders.