Re-inventing social housing in Serbia Experience of SIRP program

1. Re-inventing social housing in Serbia Experience of SIRP program Djordje Mojović,UN-HABITAT www.unhabitat.org.yu www.unhabitat.org

2. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • Presentation structure • SIRP program background • Program conception • Pilot projects 2005-2008 • Results • Lessons learnt • Possible future

3. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • SIRP program background • Problem of integration of refugees and internally displaced persons • Lack of housing policy instruments • Lack of affordable housing • Existing housing policy - subsidizing mortgages for middle income population • Outdated housing legislation • Different unsustainable small scale projects • Complete privatization of the public housing stock

4. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • Program conception • Setting comprehensive set of elementary instruments for social housing policy in Serbia: institutions, financial mechanisms, strategic planning, regulations • Social housing defined in broader sense • Division of main responsibilities to national and local governments • Introducing principles: cost recovery, good targeting, transparency, standard procedures, acquisition of ownership, bottom-up approach, participatory planning • Legislation coming as a result of testing the concepts through pilot projects

5. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • SIRP pilot projects 2004-2008 • Establishing City Housing Agencies • Establishing National Housing Fund • New construction of municipal rental housing • Alternative housing projects • Local Housing Strategies • National Social Housing Strategies • Capacity building of the line Ministry and all stakeholders

6. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • Results • At local level • 7 City Housing Agencies established and they performed all pilot projects • 530 municipal rental dwellings constructed and let to vulnerable households under cost rent conditions • More than 200 alternative housing solutions ensured in 5 different type of projects: • micro-credits for completion of construction, • PPP (micro-credit/use of free uncompleted space for public rental), • improvement of sub-standard settlement with mixed tenure, • regularization and improvement of Roma settlement, • reconstruction of social housing stock owned by local social welfare center with new tenure arangments • Local Housing Strategies and Action Plans drafted and adopted

7. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP Results

8. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP Results

9. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP Results

10. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP Results

11. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP Results

12. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP Results

13. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP Results

14. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP Results

15. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • Results • At national level • Draft Social Housing Law in the Parliament • National Housing Agency (Fund) foreseen by new legislation - not established yet • National Social Housing Strategy – announced • Capacity building – Housing group established, but not staffed • Awareness on social housing raised • Big SH program announced to follow SIRP matrix (local institution building + public rental housing construction + local housing strategies + national housing strategies + National Housing Agency)

16. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • Results • Draft SH Law, Definition of social housing • Article 2 • According to this Law, social housing shall be housing of adequate standard provided through state support, in accordance with the social housing strategy and strategy implementation programs, for households that cannot afford an apartment under market conditions for social, economic or other reasons.

17. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • Lessons learnt • Key factors: critical mass of political willingness, local context / realistic needs, local ownership, trust, ability to change • New construction is just one of the possibilities – need to widely explore different opportunities • Social rental sector in direct relation of functioning of condominium management legislation – SH could not be looked at out of the complete housing policy • Extremely low capacity of decision makers at all levels, primarily at central level • Lobbying all potential stakeholders, but according to their powers/interests • Need for wide education and communication / awareness campaigns targeting general public, experts and politicians

18. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • Possible future (pessimistic scenario) • Institutions in place but becoming toys in hands of ruling politicians • Main risks: populism in housing policy, lack of controlling instruments, financial capacity of the country, weak knowledge and professional ethics of public servants (bad governance) • Regional housing policies and social housing as part of a broader development context

19. The Settlement and Integration of Refugees Program - SIRP • Possible future (optimistic scenario) • Regional / local housing policies and social housing as part of a broader development context • Realistic planning and adequate use of resources and other opportunities from all available sources (domestic / public, private and international) contribute to establish a sustainable finance system • Housing needs keep regular place at all political agendas

20. Budapest 6-7 October 2008 Djordje Mojović, National Director of SIRP Program www.unhabitat.org.yu www.unhabitat.org Thank you for your attention