Agreements for the allocation of 37 packages of building material were awarded today In the Grand Hall of the  Subotica City Hall to refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, which reside in the territory of the City of Subotica. Building material packages worth € 9,000 are financed by donor funds from the subproject 5 of the Regional Housing Programme. The main donor of RHP is the European Union.

Commissioner for Refugees and Migration Vladimir Cucić said that he was glad that there was a change in attitude toward refugees in Subotica, because there had not been any interest in helping them for years.

- This is a serious aid in building materials worth about 9,000 euros. A lot for the construction of 44 apartments was also found, and another 26 houses are being purchased, added Cucić.
He said that through the Regional Housing Programme and own investments by 2022, it would be necessary to solve the housing issued of about 6,300 families.

Mayor of Subotica Bogdan Laban opened the ceremony, noting that the City of Subotica has missed numerous opportunities to provide permanent housing solutions to the refugee population in the past decades, who were left without their homes, and unfortunately, very often without their loved ones during the course of  tragic events of the 1990s - said Bogdan Laban.

- With the arrival of the new government structure several years ago came the affirmation of a new approach to this problem. We began, as much as possible, to correct the injustice this part of our citizens were facing, so we actively joined our partners and donors in the projects that concern prociding permanent housing solutions to refugees and displaced persons in Subotica.

Mayor Laban reminded that at the beginning of February 2018,  within the fifth subproject of the Regional Housing Programme in the Republic of Serbia, 30 refugee families from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, who until then were not taken care of, received agreements for the purchase of village houses.

The value of this project is 270,000 euros, said the Mayor, adding that the project was realized in cooperation with partners from the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia, the Project Implementation Unit in Public Sector, UNHCR and OSCE, all in accordance with the deadlines, rules and agreements.

Director of the Fund for Providing Assistance to Refugees, Expelled and Displaced Persons Dusko Cutilo, congratulated the beneficiaries, the workers and all service providers who did a big job.

According to him, beneficiaries who have received houses in the previous period will be able to compete for building material in the future, because they purchased houses that needed major works and refurbishing

- From February 1, we will announce two new public calls for grants in the form of building materials for families who have not received this type of assistance, and there is a need for this, as well as a new program, which is the economic empowerment of women from refugee families, announced Dusko Cutilo.
UNHCR representative Jadranka Marić thanked the beneficiaries for their patience on behalf of the UNHCR and the OSCE who were monitoring the implementation of this program and wished them to have better homes soon.

- You may expect the delivery of materials soon, followed by a period of work, construction, installation and we hope that you will be equally satisfied at the end. Most of you - said Jadranka Marić.

After addressing the beneficiaries, Bogdan Laban, Vladimir Cucić, Duško Ćutilo and Jadranka Marić delivered the agreements to them and wished them all the best.