In March, the residence of the first beneficiaries of the “Coverage” program will begin, according to which the state will pay the entire rent for housing. Frame vulnerable young people, according to a statement from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Next week, a Joint Ministerial Decision (JMA) will be published, which will define, among other things, specific criteria for the selection of beneficiaries (according to Law 5006/2022 on housing policy. The beneficiaries of the program are persons aged 25 to 39 years old, recipients of a minimum guaranteed income ).

This will be followed by the signing of program contracts between the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and municipal institutions, which will cooperate in the implementation of the program.

The above is the result of a meeting held today by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, with the President of KEDE, Dimitris Papastergiou, in the presence of the Secretary General of Social Solidarity and the Fight against Poverty, Yorgos Stamatis.

Coating program

The “Coverage” program established by Law 5006/2022 is based in principle on the hostels that participated in the “Estia” program to accommodate asylum seekers in urban apartments throughout Greece and was completed in December 2022.

Already 579 property owners who participated in the Estia program have expressed interest in continuing to provide their homes for the beneficiaries of the Coverage program to live in.

It is recalled that property owners during the three years that the lease will last will receive all rent from the state, which also assumes the restoration of any necessary repairs.

The goal in the first phase is to use at least 1,000 properties that will accommodate more than 3,000 beneficiaries.

Within the framework of the program, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs undertakes the financing of the costs of renting and refurbishing real estate, while the municipalities, among other things, consider the applications of interested parties, recommend suitable available objects. beneficiaries, pay rent to owners, take care of repairs, etc.

Statements

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Kostis Hatzidakis said: “The law “My home is a housing policy for young people, the use of state property for social housing”, which was adopted in December, as well as the National Action Plan for the Support of the Homeless, approved yesterday by the Cabinet of Ministers, includes actions to providing free or low cost quality housing to vulnerable populations, with a focus on youth. Coverage is the centerpiece of the government’s social housing strategy, providing hundreds of vulnerable young people and young couples with free quality housing, making it easier for them to start their own lives and start a family if they so choose. Restarting public housing policy, using national and European resources and based on the best practices applied in Europe, will give immediate, tangible results over the next month, when the first beneficiaries move into their new homes.”

KEDE President Dimitris Papastergiou emphasized: “KEDE naturally supports the efforts of the Covering to support young families belonging to vulnerable groups through the mechanism of the municipalities that until now “managed” the ESTIA program. This is a great initiative that provides immediate solutions for the first steps of these households.”

For his part, Giorgos Stamatis, Secretary General of the organization Social Solidarity and Fight against Poverty, emphasized: “The Cover program, which will be implemented through the municipalities in cooperation with KEDE, is designed to strengthen the government’s housing policy by helping young couples who receive a minimum guaranteed income, at the age of 25-39 years. We are creating another safety and security net with targeted policies.”