The government plans to activate a multi-ministy program that will help resolve the housing shortage, Social Cohesion and Family Minister Domna Michailidou told Skai on Wednesday.
"The ministry, in cooperation with other ministries, has planned a total of 40 projects worth 6.5 million euros that are in a process of implementation. I mention this, because the housing issue is so important that it cannot be resolved magically, or with a plan that will resolve the country's problem within six months or a year - unfortunately, something like that is not feasible. That is why the plan includes a total of 40 projects, subprojects, reforms, and relief measures," Michailidou said, mentioning among others the successful subsidy plan for young people "Spiti mou I", which has led to the program's extension into "Spiti mou II".
The government received over 86,000 applications for "Spiti mou II", and over 3,000 applicants have received a pre-approval, all within 2.5 months of the program's start, Michailidou told Skai.
So far, all projects to help the housing issue focused on demand, but programs like "Social Exchange" starting now will offer more housing to the market, she said.
This program is an agreement between the state and private construction companies to build housing on state land at their own cost, collect rents for a specific time period, and lease the properties to individuals who have been approved for state subsidies.