Monday the 9th of May 2011 – A Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in relation to the construction of 20 housing units for the purpose of providing social housing within a protective environment has been signed in Vranje.  The Memorandum was signed by the Assistant to the Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Ivan Gerginov, the Major of the city of Vranje Mr. Miroljub Stojcic and the Director of the Housing Centre Mr. Branislav Zarkovic.

 The construction of the building, intended to provide social housing within a protective environment, is being completed within the scope of the program, “Support to Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons in Serbia,” a program financed through the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia by means of IPA 2009 funds.

The aim of the project is the establishment of sustainable housing solutions for socially vulnerable refugee and internally displaced persons as also providing support to the process of closing the remaining collective centres; that said, 20% of the housing units are intended for local use and socially vulnerable citizens.

The newly constructed building in Vranje will have a capacity of 20 housing units ranging in size from 22 to 54 squared metres.

The investment value of the project amounts to 315,000 euros.  The city of Vranje participated in the aforementioned project by donating some 20,000 euros, providing the parcel of land upon which the construction is to take place and providing the necessary infrastructural support.

 The project is to be completed in cooperation with the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia, the city of Vranje and the Housing Centre which is the key institution in the project in question.

Social housing within a supportive environment is representative of one of the rights which, according to the Law on Social Protection, belongs to the group of extended rights which fall under the jurisdiction of the local community.  Aside from providing solutions to the housing problems, the beneficiaries of the aforementioned project will also be provided with social support and support in the process of integrating into their new communities, services which will be made available through the Centre for Social Employment as also through the host family.

The beneficiaries are to be selected by means of a Joint Commission comprised of the representatives of the Commissariat for Refugees, the UNHCR, Centre for Social Employment of the city of Vranje and the Housing Centre.