Agency to tackle housing shortage in Thessaloniki
Eleven of the 13 municipalities that make up the regional unit of Thessaloniki in northern Greece have joined forces to tackle a housing shortage by setting up a new agency that will be responsible for creating affordable accommodation.
The agency will work with owners who have empty properties they cannot afford to renovate and put on the market. It will be responsible for carrying out the necessary work, finding tenants and managing the asset for a period of five years – on the condition that the owner lets it for a reasonable rate.
The properties in question will also be given an energy upgrade, with talks already under way with the Environment Ministry to set up a fund to this end.
In the meantime, funding has been earmarked from the EU-backed recovery fund to launch a pilot program for 30 residences in Thessaloniki and another 70 in Athens in a similar social housing scheme.
