Čačak, Serbia, 27 April 2023 – In a picturesque part of the city of Čačak in Serbia, near the banks of the river Morava, keys to 25 newly-built Regional Housing Programme (RHP) apartments were delivered to refugee families today.

In addition to the beneficiaries themselves, the ceremony was attended by Nataša Stanisavljević, Commissioner for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia; Gerhard Salzer, Programme Manager at the European Union Delegation to Serbia; Milun Todorović, Mayor of Čačak, and Dušan Kovačević, Head of the Public Sector Projects Implementation Unit Ltd., amongst others.

Congratulating the beneficiaries on their new homes, Commissioner Stanisavljević also proudly shared the achievements of the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia (KIRS) with regard to the delivery of new housing units under the RHP: “In the coming weeks, we will gradually exceed the number of 7 000 families accommodated,” she said.

Thanking KIRS, the EU – the main Donor to the RHP – and the City of Čačak, Olivera Terzić, one of the RHP beneficiaries, emphasised the significance of the occasion. “I have lived in Čačak for 30 years,” she said. “Many of us got married here and found happiness. We all have harrowing stories from the past, but we will not mention them today, because this is a wonderful day, when we all received homes of our own,” she said.

Commissioner Stanisavljević delivers keys to an RHP beneficiary in Čačak, Serbia

Gerhard Salzer, Programme Manager at the European Union Delegation to Serbia, underlined the importance of EU support for the RHP. “The EU has been supporting these activities for years to provide housing solutions for more than 30 000 people who lost their homes during the 1990’s conflicts in former Yugoslavia. The Regional Housing Programme helps to overcome the legacy of the past and open a new chapter in people’s lives,” he said.

Gerhard Salzer delivers keys to an RHP beneficiary

Confirming the EU representative words, Mayor Todorović reflected on the co-operation with KIRS and RHP Donors. “Two and a half years ago, we had a vision that our fellow citizens, families exiled from their centuries-old homes, and who found happiness in Čačak, would finally get a roof over their heads,” he stated. “The success of this project has been thanks to the enormous support of KIRS, the EU and other Donors. This is a small part of what we owe to those who survived and found peace in Čačak.“

Mayor Todorović congratulates RHP beneficiaries

RHP stakeholders in one of the newly-constructed apartments

RHP building in Čačak