The Government's plans for energy upgrading and housing policy are progressing with increased interest, as Government Spokesman Constantinos Letympiotis stated in a press briefing on Tuesday.
Referring to the Housing Save – Upgrade Scheme, the Spokesperson said that the submission of applications started on 21.11.2024 and the platform will remain open until 31.01.2025 or until the available budget is exhausted. The plan offers, he said, an important opportunity for citizens to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, achieving energy savings and reducing living expenses at the same time. The total budget amounts to €30 million. And it is estimated that at least 1.650 applicants will be able to be satisfied.
He noted that citizens can receive a grant of up to €32.000 for investments in existing homes. Applications can be submitted through the electronic System of Sponsorship Plans of the Service of Industry and Technology, on the website https://fundingapps.meci.gov.cy
"To date, 236 applications have been received, the majority of which, 193 applications, were submitted in the first two days of operation of the Scheme. The submission process continues smoothly, while the evaluation of the received applications has already begun," he said.
He added that for homes of vulnerable consumers, homes in mountainous areas and homes of refugees in refugee settlements, increased sponsorship is provided.
Regarding the housing schemes, the Spokesperson said that on November 15, 2024, the submission of applications for participation in the "Renovate-Rent" Scheme and the Housing Scheme granting financial assistance to young people and/or young couples up to 41 years of age began which fall under the comprehensive housing policy of the State.
As he said, the interest from the citizens is already increased. So far, he said, there have been 119 applications for the Plan to grant financial assistance to young people/young families up to 41 years of age with 10 applications from Famagusta, 19 from Larnaca, 26 from Limassol, 57 from Nicosia and 7 from Paphos.
He reminded that applications are submitted until December 31, 2024, only online on the www.housing.moi.gov.cy platform and that the total number of beneficiaries that can be covered by the plan is 400.
Regarding the Renovate-Rent Plan, he said that there have been 188 expressions of interest so far, of which 7 are related to submitted applications, while there have been 4.234 visitors to the platform. The goal, he said, is to include 800-1000 residential units. Applications from the owners of idle housing units are submitted until December 31, 2025, only online on the platform www.prositistegi.cy
He reminded that the unified housing policy includes a series of Plans and measures aimed, on the one hand, at increasing the housing stock in its entirety, with an emphasis on affordable housing, and, on the other hand, at increasing the purchasing power of citizens.
He added that the housing policy is focused on the municipalities and urban and peri-urban areas, where the greatest lack of housing stock is found. At the same time, measures are being promoted to revitalize the areas in the mountains and the countryside, in the context of the Government's broader policy to strengthen these areas.
He emphasized that the amount invested in the Housing Policy amounts to €77 million, without counting the cost of urban planning incentives, making the Housing Policy the largest intervention in terms of scope and intensity in terms of citizens' access to affordable housing housing.
He also stated that based on this philosophy, urban planning incentives and the Build to Rent Plan are also implemented, granting land development professionals an additional building factor of up to 45%, in order to produce housing stock and make it available at an affordable purchase or rent price. As he said, so far, the interest from builders is encouraging and more than 20 applications have already been submitted, which translates into the production of 178 additional homes and 2 million. euro revenue for the Cyprus Land Development Organization to develop affordable housing programs.
In addition, he said that the Housing Plans for the revitalization of mountainous, critical and disadvantaged areas and specific rural areas and the Plan for the Creation of Student Residences/Rooms in the walled city of Nicosia are being implemented.
Finally, he mentioned that another very important Plan, which is expected to provide significant help to citizens, is receiving legal technical control, which concerns the granting of plots in communities that have state land, to families with low and medium incomes at 25% of the value of the plot.
