The Regional Housing Programme – Building homes, rebuilding solidarity
The Regional Housing Programme (RHP) – a joint initiative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia (the “Partner Countries”) provided secure homes to approximately 36 000 most-vulnerable refugees and internally-displaced persons in these four countries following the conflicts in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. As such, the RHP was the first joint post-conflict initiative between these countries.
The RHP, which came to an end in December 2023, was mostly financed by the international donor community, namely the European Union. The other Donors were the USA, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Türkiye, Luxembourg, Spain, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and the Slovak Republic. The Partner Countries were supported by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) with respect to implementation and capacity building as well as the management of Donor funds, and UNHCR and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) with regard to beneficiary selection and sustainability aspects.
"Here to Stay"
- film about RHP
achievements (2019)
The RHP film "Here to Stay" summarised the achievements of the Regional Housing Programme in 2019. It demonstrated the concrete impact that the Programme had on the lives of thousands of beneficiaries. It also highlighted the key achievements of the RHP, which were not limited to providing a durable home for the most vulnerable refugees.
Country films
Regional films
Providing homes and new hope / World Refugee Day,
20 June 2018
Beneficiary films
Short clips
RHP in the Media
Regional Housing Programme on Radio Television Serbia (RTS1)
The provision of apartments to 13 RHP refugee families in Sombor, Serbia, was an opportunity for Radio Television Serbia (RTS1, a morning programme) to report, on 26 February 2021, about the results of the RHP in this city, where numerous beneficiary families have already received housing support, either in the form of new flats, village houses or building material.
Regional Coordination Forum of the RHP on Prizma Programme (HRT)
What does the extension of the Regional Housing Programme mean for Croatia, and how has the RHP influenced cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia? These were some of the key questions explored by the “Prizma” programme of the Croatian public television channel HRT during its televised coverage of the RHP Regional Coordination Forum in Zagreb on 30 January. Prizma is a popular weekly programme which focuses on ethnic minority populations in Croatia.
Regional Housing Programme on Prizma Programme (HRT)
On 18 January, UNHCR and the Croatian Central State Office for Reconstruction and Housing Care (CSORHC) participated in the Prizma programme on HRT, which featured a short film on RHP implementation in Croatia. In addition, the State Secretary at CSORHC Nikola Mazar and UNHCR Associate External Relations and Public Information Officer Neven Crvenkovic discussed various aspects of RHP implementation in Croatia and the region.
RHP at Bosnian television channel TV N1
On 23 January, the Bosnian television channel TV N1 interviewed Nina Miskovic, National Coordinator from the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Neven Crvenkovic from the UNHCR, for the programme “Novi Dan” where they spoke about the latest achievements of the RHP in Bosnia and Herzegovina and across the Western Balkans.
RHP on BHT1
On the occasion of the World Refugee Day (20 June), the special edition of the programme “In Medias Res” of the national tv-channel “BHT1” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, brought together representatives of beneficiaries, donors and implementers of the Regional Housing Programme in BiH.
RHP on Prizma Programme (HRT)
On 24 June 2017, the PRIZMA programme for ethnic minorities on the Croatian public broadcaster HRT was dedicated to latest RHP achievements and projected goals until 2018. Guests in the studio were UNHCR PI Officer Mr Neven Crvenkovic and Mr Ivica Preskar of the RHP Croatia Lead Institution - Central State Office for Reconstruction and Housing Care
RHP on Regional TV N1
RHP Partner Countries' representatives talk to N1 about the regional aspect of the Programme. Speakers: Ivana Ćurko, Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia, Nermina Džepar-Ganibegović, Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees BiH and Nikola Mažar, State Office for Reconstruction and Housing Care Republic of Croatia
The video and photo material is the property of the Council of Europe Development Bank - for permission to use, please contact info@coebank.org.