The Council of Ministers has approved significant changes to housing schemes for displaced persons following a proposal by the Interior Minister.
Key revisions include a €5,000 increase in income limits across all categories for housing construction and purchase schemes, along with harmonisation of income criteria for housing repair schemes.
The new policy also allows applications exceeding income criteria by up to 10% to be approved, with the excess amount being deducted from the financial aid.
Under the revised criteria, the connection date to the Electricity Authority network, rather than the purchase agreement date, will now determine grant calculations for home purchases.
Age limits for overseas students applying for housing assistance have been extended to 25 years for women and 26 years for men who have completed mandatory military service.
The minimum age requirement for housing units eligible for repair schemes has been reduced from 20 to 15 years.
New provisions also address cases where one spouse is not displaced but owned a housing unit disposed of at least five years before marriage or civil partnership.
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou explained that the changes responded to observations from the Parliamentary Refugee Committee, the Pancyprian Refugee Union, and eligible displaced persons.
He emphasised that the revisions aim to benefit more eligible recipients and address current challenges faced by refugees seeking housing.
The new income limits are:
- Up to €30,000 for single persons
- Up to €50,000 for couples or single-parent families
- Up to €55,000 for families with one child
- Up to €60,000 for families with two children
- Up to €70,000 for families with three or more children
Separately, regarding the Strovolos housing project, Ioannou announced that a new 30-apartment building is under construction, with 18 units designated for eligible “ktiZO” scheme beneficiaries from three condemned buildings.
Strovolos Municipality has given residents in dangerous buildings until the end of January 2025 to vacate their apartments.
