:: PROJECT
Mon-45 Local integration programme for the displaced through housing and economic livelihood assistance in support of the National Strategy for Resolving the Issues of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Montenegro
:: DONOR
Europan Union (European Agency for Reconstruction)
:: REALISATION / BUDGET
06.12.2006 – 31.12.2008, € 2.536.000
:: SHORT DESCRIPTION
This project aims at the local integration of displaced persons thus enabling this population group and their households to live an independent life, socially and economically comparable to the life of other citizens. The action addresses one of the basic conditions for the integration of the displaced in Montenegro. These are the unsatisfied needs for adequate housing! Provision of adequate housing is also needed for the ever more numerous number of elderly displaced. So far the only institution providing assistance to the elderly in Montenegro is the old people’s home “Grabovac” in Risan. In addition there is the need to assist the displaced population in finding permanent and sustainable solutions through enhancing its economic capacities.
The main project objective is to facilitate access of vulnerable displaced and domicile poor to:
• Secure, affordable and appropriate housing solutions
• Income generation support through micro-enterprise development, business training and guidance supporting the development of sustainable livelihoods
The proposed action specifically comprises the
a) construction of 1 apartment building in Niksic to house the remaining residents of the last official collective centre in Montenegro.
b)´construction of prefabricated housing units for 25 displaced Roma families in Berane
c) construction of 1 housing object (92 beds, bathrooms and other service rooms) in elderly home Risan
d) the provision of building material for the adaptation of 40 displaced housing units in those municipalities hosting displaced
e) the provision of building materials for the construction of 30 individual housing units (on self-help basis) for displaced in various municipalities of Montenegro
f) the creation of a data bank covering the applicants for housing assistance
g) provision of individual income-generating grants to 62 displaced persons and domicile poor
New construction of housing objects is foreseen for the displaced living in collective centres with no means to find durable individual housing solutions as well as for extremely vulnerable residents of the elderly home in Risan.
The living conditions of many displaced in private accommodation are very often miserable and require urgent repair and/or upgrading in order to establish normal conditions. A large number of the houses are without insulation of roofs which causes water seepages and wet walls, most have of a cement floor only. Many of the houses have no or no adequate toilet facilities and others are unfinished and in a state that does not yet allow people to move in at all. These problems compel the most vulnerable among the displaced to a life under very unhealthy conditions or remain in collective centres. Within the framework of this action it is foreseen to provide 40 families with urgently needed construction materials in order to upgrade their living space and/or to complete their unfinished houses in the target municipalities. In addition 30 families who have managed to secure an adequate building plot will receive construction materials to build their own houses (size of house depends on number of family members).
The proposed action will support 62 displaced persons and domicile poor with sound business ideas to start-up/improve or resume economic activities that are suitable to provide them with a regular income. These may be small repair work shops (for all kind of craftsmen’s trades such as metal work, carpentry, electricians and the like), fishing, tailor workshops, green houses, production of cheese, drying of herbs, small bakeries, and the like. HELP will provide the selected beneficiaries with the equipment/services required to start-up and/or expand their economic activities. The average value of material inputs is set at € 1.200.
All material and financial inputs will be provided as grants, but HELP foresees to include a social repayment component. For the implementation of the income-generation component of this action HELP will cooperate with the Directorate for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises and its network of Local Business Centres which will provide required business services and basic business training. HELP disposes already of a Memorandum of Understanding for the cooperation with this agency for the implementation of income-generating activities.
