“It is a fact that there are delays due to various issues,” said a competent source.
The Ministry of the Interior has proceeded with the hiring of a second-in-command, in the context of the implementation of the “ktiZÓ” sponsorship scheme for existing apartment buildings in government housing settlements for displaced persons, which has undertaken, as the KYPE is informed, to manage all cases with inheritance issues and to process the procedures required in all Services/Departments, in order to transfer the property to the heirs and unblock the whole project.
“It is a fact that there are delays due to various issues that arose during the development of the Plan and could not have been foreseen before the start of its implementation,” said a competent source at the KYPE.
He added, however, that “the Ministry is alert and solves the problems that are presented”, such as the one regarding inheritance issues.
The Ministry of the Interior acknowledges that there are delays due to various issues that arose during the development of the Plan and could not have been foreseen before the start of its implementation. However, the Ministry is “vigilant and resolving the problems that arise”, such as the one regarding inheritance issues, the same source told KYPE.
In relation to the reconstruction of apartment buildings, as informed by the KYPE, work has already begun on the reconstruction of an apartment building in the settlement “Kokkines”, in the Municipality of Strovolos, where the beneficiaries from three apartment buildings of the settlement will be housed (two were demolished and one will to be demolished at a later stage), while reconstruction work will begin in the Autumn on five more apartment blocks for which bids have been received and a contractor has been selected, given that inheritance issues will also be resolved.
It is recalled that in the first phase of the “ktiZO” Plan, 300 beneficiaries have expressed interest in participating and therefore 19 groups have been formed and for them, 19 apartment buildings will be erected respectively. The first phase includes a total of 43 apartment buildings of 6, 9 and 12 apartments, while the new apartment buildings will be 16-20 apartments, according to the groups that have been formed.
According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, 26 beneficiaries have declared that they do not wish to participate in the Scheme and will therefore receive the amount corresponding to their share in the existing apartment buildings (based on the estimates of the Department of Cadastre and Land Surveying in 2021) and the amount of the sponsorship would be paid by the state in case of participation and they leave the Scheme (they will not receive an apartment in the new apartment buildings).
Furthermore, 169 beneficiaries out of 300 are granted a rent allowance, while beneficiaries who requested it were granted an amount €250 euros to cover moving expenses and others were provided with a storage space to store their personal belongings, which is covered by the Ministry.
Demolition of apartment buildings of immediate unsuitability/dangerousness
— —————
According to the same information, the demolition of the five apartment buildings of the first phase in the Municipality of Latsia, two apartment buildings in the settlement “Kokkines” of the Municipality of Strovolos has been completed and the tender procedures for the remaining 15 cases have been completed.
In individual cases, as informed by KYPE, beneficiaries refuse to vacate the apartments (in apartment buildings of the Municipality of Strovolos) and therefore the demolition cannot proceed and the reconstruction can begin on the same block and this delays the project for the specific groups.
According to Article 15 of the Law on Streets and Buildings, the competent authority for the evacuation of unsuitable and dangerous buildings is the municipal authority and therefore, the Municipality should issue a court order for the evacuation of the apartments.
Additional funding approved to 95 beneficiaries by Vulnerability Committee
Besides, according to the information of the KYPE, the evaluation of beneficiaries by the Vulnerability Committee has been completed and the granting of additional sponsorship has been approved to cover part of the contribution that the beneficiaries will give.
Specifically, additional financial support will be provided to 95 beneficiaries from the total amount of €975,000 secured by donations from private organizations and other bodies. It is noted that the beneficiaries were informed of the amount of coverage that will be given to them by letters.
The evaluation of the cases, according to the same information, was done on the basis of criteria and priority was given to covering part of the contribution in cases with proven difficulties in covering the amount, such as EEE recipients, cancer patients, low-pension singles (without children or other means of securing a loan).
It is noted that the Vulnerability Committee was set up precisely to be able to help cases that have been proven not can contribute the full amount and the support of cases such as, among others, EEE recipients and cancer patients was prioritized as most important.
