Monday, May 17th 2011- A new social housing unit in supportive environments in the City of Kragujevac has been ceremonially opened.  Vladan Hadzic, the Head of HR Department of the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia, Slavica Saveljic, Member of the City Council, Vladimir Mihajlovic, the representative of the Municipal Housing Agency of the city of Kragujevac and Vladimir Petronijevic, the executive of the non-governmental organization the Group 484 attended the opening.

The housing structure that consists of 15 housing units intended for the socially vulnerable families of refugees, internally displaced persons and local residents represents a constituent of the project “Support to Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Serbia”. This project is financed by the European Union through the Delegation of the European Union in the Republic of Serbia by IPA 2008  funds and the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia is the beneficiary institution of the project. The aim of this project is to contribute to the joint efforts of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia to improve living conditions and solve social and economic issues of these categories, in accordance with the National Strategy for Resolving the Problems of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.

The beneficiaries are to be selected by the Joint Commission comprised of the representatives of the Commissariat for Refugees, the UNHCR, the City of Kragujevac, the Centre for Social Welfare “Solidarnost” and Group 484.

The total value of this building amounts to 620,000 Euros. The implementation of the project started in the beginning of February 2011 and is to be completed by the end of the year.

Social housing in supportive environments represents expanded right that is a part of the Law on Social Protection, which provides housing for the persons without housing solutions who are burdened by difficult situations. These persons are usually invalids, single parents, victims of domestic violence, refugees and internally displaced persons who have been accommodated in collective centers or inadequate private properties. The aim of social housing in supported environments is to improve social integration of the socially vulnerable population. Each building for the social housing in supportive environments is to have “a host family” that would support tenants, help with their neighbor relations, support them in their independent social development and provide assistance in housing units maintenance.