Friday the 19th of November 2010 – Representatives of the delegations of the European Union in the Republic of Serbia, the Commissariat for Refugees, Danish Refugee Council and the municipality of Rača, participated in the ceremonial opening of a building in Rača intended to serve as social housing in protected conditions.

The building which is comprised of 12 housing units is intended for refugee and internally displaced persons as well as for the socially vulnerable families from the municipality of Rača. The construction of the housing units in question represents one of the components of the project, “Support for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Serbia,” which is being financed on behalf of the European Union by means of the IPA 2007 funds. Through this project which itself is valued at some 9.5 million euros, lasting and sustainable solutions for 1,200 families of refugee and internally displaced persons from the territory of the Republic of Serbia are being provided. 

This component of the project in Rača has been achieved through the efforts of the implementing partner of the Commissariat for Refugees, the Danish Refugee Council in cooperation with the municipality of Rača.

The value of this investment which incorporates the costs of constructing and equipping the building in question amounts to 224,000 euros. The municipality of Rača has participated in this undertaking by donating the land used in the construction of the building, the associated, necessary infrastructure and has provided for the connection of the new construction to the existing infrastructural network. 

The ceremonial opening of the building was attended by Mr. Luca Kadar, the chief of information, culture and media of the European Union in the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Ivan Gerginov, the assistant to the Commissioner for Refugees, Mrs. Dragana  Živanović, president of the municipality of Rača and Mrs. Helena Lasen, the program manager of the Danish Refugee Council in the Republic of Serbia.