An elderly couple evicted from a crumbling building in Limassol returned to the structure within one to two days after the authorities failed to find them a viable long-term alternative.
Inspectors from the Limassol District Local Government Organisation (DLGO) identified the building as dangerous and, on closer examination, declared it on the verge of collapse, requiring its occupants to leave immediately. When inspectors found the couple living there, eviction proceedings were set in motion.
With nowhere to go, the couple were handed over to Limassol police, who brought them to the local station before contacting other services and locating a facility in Nicosia that accommodates people in similar circumstances. Officers transported the couple to the capital by patrol car to stay there until more permanent accommodation could be found.
After one to two days, the couple left the facility and returned to the dangerous building.
Giannis Tsoulotas, president of the Limassol DLGO, confirmed the building had been on the verge of collapse and said both this case and others like it required organised management. He added that DLGOs were neither equipped nor mandated to resolve social problems, though they do what they can to avoid tragic outcomes and to enforce the legislation.
The incident raises the question of where people removed from dangerous buildings are to be housed at a time when rental accommodation is scarce and, where available, rents are beyond the reach of most residents. The problem is particularly acute for those living in apartment blocks, which tend to present more serious structural risks than standalone houses.
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