Fixing 358 unsuitable and dangerous complexes in refugee housing estates all across Cyprus means that a total of 3,128 apartments will be affected, Philenews reports.
And this is a huge task that the Interior Ministry has undertaken with priority given to 43 complexes consisting of 375 apartments in real dire state, it added.
If everything goes according to plan, the imminent reconstruction of the 43 complexes will be preceded with about 35 apartment complexes getting repaired annually.
Within a deadline of 10 years during which the reconstruction/renovation project is expected to be completed, the “moral” obligation of the state to maintain these buildings comes to an end.
For the project to be implemented as scheduled it is essential that all owners – refugees or not – as well as contractors join forces with the state.
Based on a study carried out by the Town Planning Department the structural picture of the total of 358 complexes is the following:
—In total, for 43 apartment complexes repair is considered to be unprofitable (approximately 375 flats) and an agreement was reached with ETEK (Technical Chamber of Cyprus) to confirm that these should be demolished.
Although it has been stressed that all 43 buildings are not dilapidated, the amount of money required to maintain buildings of around 40-50 years of age, the cost for their energy upgrading, the installation of lifts (where they have not been installed) and other work that may be required, leads to the conclusion that this is not the most advantageous option for the public sector and for the beneficiaries themselves.
—Another 70 apartment complexes were found to need “certain repair”.
—And the remaining 245 blocks of flats were diagnosed as having fewer repair needs.
