EU Program: Renovation of 111 housing units completed

Works on the renovation of 111 housing units have been completed within the first phase of the renovation of priority housing stock under the EU Programme for Flood Recovery. Thanks to EU funds, the homes of 30 families from Banja Luka, 25 from Bijeljina, 21 from Doboj, 15 from Orašje, 8 from Živinice, 7 from Maglaj, 3 from Tuzla, and one each from Lopare and Šamac have been renovated, it was announced from the EU Delegation to BiH, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

The first phase of priority renovation covered particularly vulnerable households in flood-affected areas, such as the elderly, families living below the poverty line, and persons with developmental disabilities. Renovation works were completed within four weeks and, depending on the extent of damage, included repairs to roofs and facades, renovation of floors and walls, as well as replacement of external and internal carpentry. 
 
- Within the first phase, works on 328 housing units are continuing. The selection of an additional 396 units is underway in close cooperation with relevant local government representatives. We have increased the number of housing units to be renovated by the end of the year from the initial 650 to around 1,000 - said Andy McGuffie, spokesperson for the EU Delegation to BiH and the EU Special Representative.

This week, the selection of an additional 1,270 beneficiaries for housing unit renovation from the first public call from the municipalities of Bijeljina, Šamac, Doboj, Maglaj, Orašje, Odžak, Brčko District, and Domaljevac was also completed. A second public call for the selection of 1,079 beneficiaries has also been published.
 
- The second public call for housing unit renovation was published on October 29. We invite all those who meet the criteria from the municipalities of Banja Luka, Laktaši, Lukavac, Prijedor, Modriča, Sanski Most, Srebrenik, Tuzla, Zenica, Žepče, and Živinice to apply. Information on the application procedure and criteria is available on the websites of the EU Delegation and UNDP, as well as in the media - explains Edis Arifagić, EU Programme for Flood Recovery Programme Manager from UNDP. 
 
The overall goal of the EU Programme for Flood Recovery is the renovation of a total of 4,000 housing units damaged in the floods, or direct assistance in returning to their homes for approximately 14,000 people.

- The key priority of the EU Programme for Flood Recovery is to ensure that assistance reaches those who need it most. UNDP, our partner in the Programme's implementation, continues to closely coordinate the selection of beneficiaries with relevant local government representatives, ensuring transparency and full adherence to selection criteria - concludes McGuffie.