As part of the Regional Housing Programme (RHP), a notable milestone has been achieved as 28 individual houses were successfully constructed across Montenegro’s landscape. A heartfelt ceremony marked the pivotal moment when keys to these homes were handed over to families who have had their housing challenges resolved through this program.
Key figures including Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Admir Adrović, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Montenegro, Riccardo Serri, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Montenegro, Bariş Kalkavan, Head of the Political-Economic Section at the United States Embassy Podgorica, Scott Parrish, and Saša Čađenović, an official from UNHCR responsible for government relations, were among those responsible for presenting the keys to these grateful families.
Commitment to refugees
Montenegro, in its commitment to assisting those who were compelled to leave their homes due to regional conflicts in the 1990s, has demonstrated remarkable solidarity. More than 12,000 refugees originating from the former Yugoslavia have been granted permanent residency status, leading to their successful integration into Montenegrin society.
This significant endeavor, undertaken with the support of international partners and donor countries, stems from the decision of the governments of four partner states to address the enduring aftermath of wartime events in the former Yugoslavia. The Regional Housing Programme, alongside its various subprojects, has been instrumental in furnishing permanent and sustainable housing solutions for over 1,000 families in Montenegro and the broader region.
Homes for deserving families
The European Union stands as the primary contributor to the Regional Housing Programme, playing a crucial role in providing new homes for these deserving families. Launched in 2012, the program is now nearing its conclusion this year, poised to enhance living conditions for roughly 11,300 vulnerable families across the region, including refugees and displaced individuals.
This program’s overarching goal is to bring closure to the prolonged displacement crisis endured by the most vulnerable refugees and displaced individuals from the former Yugoslavia. This includes those who have been internally displaced in Montenegro since 1999.
It forms an integral part of the “Sarajevo Process for Refugees and Displaced Persons,” initiated in 2005 to address the plight of those displaced following the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia from 1991 to 1995.
