Wednesday the 22nd of September 2010 – The formal signing of a Memorandum of understanding concerning the construction of 10 housing units to be used as social housing in protected conditions was signed in the city of Šabac. The signing ceremony was attended by: Mr. Miloš Milošević, the major of the city of Šabac, Mr. Ivan Gerginov, assistant to the Commissioner for Refugees, Mrs. Branka Davidović, the director of the Centre for Social Employment of the city of Šabac, and Mr. Gregoire Goodstein, head of the IOM (International Organization for Migration) mission in the Republic of Serbia.

The International Organization for Migration in cooperation with the Commissariat for Refugees and the city of Šabac are currently involved in the Project, “Support for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Serbia,”which involves the construction of a building for the purpose of serving as social housing in protected conditions as a key component.  

The aforementioned project is financed on behalf of the European Union through the Delegation of the EU in the Republic of Serbia, and aims at, in cooperation with the National Strategy for the resolution of concerns faced by refugees and IDP’s, further contributing to the government of the Republic of Serbia and the Commissariat for Refugees’ ability in improving the living conditions and solving the housing concerns of the category of persons in question.

In the City if Šabac, this goal will be achieved through the construction of a building intended for use as social housing in protected conditions. This building will be reserved for use by the families and individuals who comprise the refugee, internally displaced and local, socially vulnerable populations. Those indivuduals who are impaired as a consequence of having family members who suffer from either physical, mental or other forms of ailments which hamper their efforts in establishing and providing for their existential needs, single parent households, the elderly and couples capable of a self-sustained existence will be be given pride of place in the constructed accomodations.

The forecast investment value of the proposed construction is approximated as being within the range of 200,000 euros.

The owner of the constructed building will be the Republic of Serbia, while the management with all the privileges and rights afforded such a position is to be undertaken by the city of Šabac. Overseeing the day to day opperations of the building will be the responsibility of the Centre for Social Employment of the city of Šabac which will ultimately be responsible for decisions associated with the manner in which the building is to be utilized.

The tenants of the building (those utilizing the program of social housing) will be chosen on the basis of publicised, preagreed conditions and criteria as endorced by a Commission which itself is to be comprised of the representatives of the City of Šabac, the Centre for Social Employment, the Commissariat for Refugees, the IOM and UNHCR. The selected beneficiaries will enter into contract with Centre for Social Employment. These contracts will define the scope of individual rights and obligations to be enjoyed by the selected beneficiaries, while the city in question, through its decisions taken within the sphere of social protection, will further define terms and conditions under which the housing is to be used.  The tenants of the housing units will be in a position to utilize the provided accomodation up until the point where they no longer find themselves in the same vulnerably category they were in when they were granted the rights to use the facilities. With this in mind the persons in question will not be able to apply for ownership of the provided facilities they currently utilize.