The government’s Ktizo plan, which aims at improving living conditions in refugee estates, is progressing according to schedule, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Tuesday visiting a construction site in the Latsia-Geri municipality where work is underway to rebuild an apartment block.
In April 2023, the government decided to undertake a €130 million project to provide “respectable living conditions” on refugee estates.
Expected to span the next ten years, President Nikos Christodoulides said the state would take the brunt of the cost with the remaining amount contributed by tenants based on income criteria. There are 358 refugee apartment buildings across the government-controlled areas.
On Tuesday, Ioannou expressed satisfaction with the progress of the plan, saying that “it provides a long-awaited solution to decades-old problems involving dilapidated housing for displaced persons”.
He added that, despite brief delays due to issues such as inheritance disputes, legal and financial matters, and other property-related issues, “the interior ministry had found ways to move forward”.
The building Ioannou visited will accommodate 18 eligible residents who previously lived in two separate buildings. The government is contributing around €1.05 million to the beneficiaries, with an initial instalment of €200,000 already disbursed.
Future payments will be made in accordance with the project’s progress. The new apartments are expected to be completed within 20 months and will feature energy-efficient facilities, including photovoltaic systems.
In addition, a further €53,000 will be allocated to support vulnerable beneficiaries under specific criteria.
Ioannou highlighted that the contractor of the project has taken advantage of an additional construction allowance, which enables the addition of 12 extra units to the building. These units will be offered at affordable prices, helping to expand the country’s stock of low-cost housing.
The first phase of the Ktizo plan also includes constructing buildings in other municipalities. The construction of a second building in the Kokkines estate in Strovolos is set to begin in the coming days, with work on a third building in Ayios Eleftherios in Latsia starting in December.
Additionally, demolition efforts are ongoing, with seven unsafe buildings already taken down and six more set for demolition in November. Three more buildings will be demolished in early 2025.
Ioannou said the plan “empowers property owners to take a more active role in the redevelopment process, as the government provides financial and technical support while allowing the project to proceed without excessive state intervention”.
However, some delays remain due to five residents in Strovolos having refused to vacate their apartments. Ioannou stressed that these buildings are unsafe and need to be demolished, urging the Strovolos municipality to proceed with eviction orders.
Members of the House refugees committee also conducted an on-site meeting at the construction site in Latsia, where they voiced their support for the Ktizo plan.
