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As part of the integrated housing policy and the Government's approach to the development of upland and rural areas, which extends to a wide range of sectors, we have undertaken a substantial upgrade of the Housing Plans granted for the regeneration of rural, upland, disadvantaged and marginal communities. In conjunction with the development of employment, education, health and leisure infrastructure, our aim in revising the Plans is to create conditions and incentives, particularly for our young people, to choose these areas to live in.
Our initiative came about after dozens of submissions came to us from the Commissioner for Upland Community Development, the Union of Communities, organised groups and citizens themselves. The fact is that since 2019, when the previous Government implemented the Plans with great success, they have been embraced by citizens and the 1,500 approvals granted so far, with an investment of €55.4 million, are proof of this.
With the revision of the Plans, we are trying to correct weaknesses in order to make them more attractive to citizens. First, we have included areas such as Peristerona and Astromeritis and upgraded the category of other communities so that beneficiaries receive an increased subsidy. The subsidy ranges from €20,000 to €70,000 based on other criteria. In addition, we have extended the duration of the Plans from one to two years, to give applicants sufficient time to secure the necessary permits required to apply. At the same time, we were receiving complaints regarding the exclusion of citizens who had acquired a house by donation some years earlier. Wanting to give them the opportunity to benefit from the Plans, we excluded the date of acquisition of the property from the criteria, assuming that the repair will be for owner-occupancy.
At the same time, we are correcting a loophole that was causing a vicious circle in relation to obtaining a loan from the interested parties. To resolve this issue, we have decided that a letter of pre-approval will be provided to the beneficiaries so that they can approach the banking institutions for borrowing the remaining amount. Coupled with the simplification of the payment procedure and payment of the amount in three instalments, the first of which will be an advance payment, it will make it easier for people to secure a loan and thus start work sooner.
In addition, a fair request that was coming to us regarding the exclusion of international students from the Schemes for a period of two years after their return is finally resolved with the removal of this restriction. In this way, we are achieving our objective of attracting young people to upland communities, who bring with them experience and knowledge, contributing to the development of their communities.
In addition to the Housing Plans, we considered it appropriate to revise the Upland Allowance, including more communities, at the same time as correcting some points that were unfair to groups of beneficiaries. For example, the unequal treatment towards pensioners, who received a lower allowance than non-pensioners. The increase from €85 to €165 in the allowance puts all beneficiaries on an equal footing and helps to maintain the existing population in these areas. The inclusion of international students among the beneficiaries is also aimed in the same direction.
All the above revisions harmonise the Housing Plans for rural and mountainous areas with the Government's housing policy objectives and rural development strategy.
Aware of the exogenous factors that make it difficult to obtain decent housing at affordable prices, we are implementing the measures and the Housing Policy Plans. Typical is the innovative Built to Rent Plan and the revised planning incentives to increase the affordable housing stock and citizens' access to it. As a Ministry we are in close contact with land development professionals who have warmly embraced both plans and have recommended specific amendments to improve them. I am pleased that next week, we will be in a position to announce these improvements, which I am confident will be of benefit to citizens as the ultimate beneficiaries of our efforts.
In addition, we expect that very soon we will begin implementation of two more Housing Policy Plans, the "Renovate-Rent" and the 200 case subsidy for young/young families under the age of 41. Two extremely important Projects that will provide short-term solutions to alleviate the serious housing problem. Applications will be made through a dedicated online platform of the CRA, as the executive arm of the housing policy, and are awaiting the green light from the Legal Service to go live.
As part of a broader social policy, which wants the State next to the citizen to provide solutions to their everyday life, the housing policy aims to improve the quality of life of our fellow citizens, not only in urban centres, but especially in areas facing the risk of abandonment.
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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