14 families moved into the new social housing building with the support of the EU

Today in Loznica, 14 families have moved into a newly built building for social housing. The programme "European Union Support to Social Housing and Active Inclusion" (EU SHAI) provided fully furnished and equipped apartments for Roma families from Loznica.

The keys to the new apartments were handed over by Loznica city manager Dejan Stalović, programme manager at the EU Delegation in Serbia Mirjana Maksimović, president of the National Council of the Roma National Minority Dalibor Nakić, state secretary in the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue Ninoslav Jovanović, assistant minister of labour, employment, veterans and social affairs Slavica Jelača and Marko Vujačić, Head of Programme at the UNOPS Serbia Multi-Country Office.

The city manager opened the event with words of gratitude to the European Union as a donor and to everyone who participated in the implementation of the project.

''Today, thanks to a donation from the European Union, we will move in 14 families. A total of 51 people will enter their new homes. We took care that the apartments were furnished and equipped, and we also provided them with strong support in economic empowerment and increasing the employability of each beneficiary. Dear beneficiaries, I wish you a happy new beginning. May every day be full of love, harmony, and respect in this new environment,'' Stalović said.

Mirjana Maksimović from the EU Delegation in Serbia emphasised that this project represents a concrete result of what the EU is doing in Serbia, in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Serbia and local governments. 27 million euros were invested in the program "EU Support to Social Housing and Active Inclusion", and the EU donation for the project in Loznica is over half a million euros, while the city of Loznica co-financed the project with about 170,000 euros. The EU's strategic idea and determination is to support the Republic of Serbia in such important projects in the coming years as well."

Marko Vujačić, Head of Programme in UNOPS Serbia Multi-Country Office, which implements the EU SHAI programme, thanked all partners who enabled the successful implementation of the project in Loznica. "This is not only about infrastructure, but active work is also being done on social inclusion measures. This broader programme also includes strengthening the capacities of national institutions to implement social inclusion policies and measures. I am very happy to witness the moving of these 14 families into the newly constructed social housing building today. You are not just moving into new apartments, but into a new phase of your life – one with more predictability, security, and potential for advancement. The mission of UNOPS is precisely to help people build a better life and countries to achieve peace and sustainable development."

Fourteen Loznica families with a total of 51 members, who get a roof over their heads today, are actively supported in education, employment and self-employment, access to social and health care services.

The President of the National Council of the Roma National Minority Dalibor Nakić, thanked the European Union for supporting the empowerment of the Roma national minority in Serbia. "The right to adequate housing is a basic human right. This project is also an indicator that Serbia is becoming a place of a better life not only for Roma but also for other socially vulnerable categories.'' He added that he is happy to see a large number of children who will move into new apartments because now they will have much better conditions to study and get an education.

State Secretary in the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue Ninoslav Jovanović emphasised that the project in Loznica is an example of the inclusion of the most vulnerable in action.

"In addition to support in housing, families also received support in the form of training and equipment for starting their own business i.e. a package of measures to empower the family in its full capacity. The Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue has developed a national strategy for the social inclusion of Roma men and women for the period 2022-2030 and the Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy for the period 2022-2024, and the Government adopted these strategic documents. Today's support for families through housing care is the implementation of that Strategy. We must continue with such programmes even more, and introduce maximum concretisation in the approach to solving the problems faced by citizens of the Roma nationality, as well as all other socially vulnerable categories. Responsibility must be shown by everyone, both the state and international organisations'' - Jovanović concluded.

Fadil Mujić, one of the beneficiaries of the project, addressed the audience and thanked the city of Loznica and the European Union for enabling him to move into a new apartment today, which will mean a lot to his whole family.

The European Union has allocated 27 million euros for the "EU Support to Social Housing and Active Inclusion" programme, which, in addition to Loznica, is implemented in 18 other cities and municipalities in Serbia. Within this Program, 381 families receive a roof over their heads and support in active inclusion.