On October 30, the government will announce two new housing schemes, set to be implemented in November, according to a written statement by the Minister of Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou. The announcement comes in response to recommendations by the Democratic Rally Party (DISY) aimed at alleviating the housing crisis. Minister Ioannou stated that many of DISY's suggestions are already being implemented by the government.

The two policies coming into effect in mid-November are the "Renovate-Rent" Plan and the Financial Assistance Scheme for young individuals and/or couples. According to the Minister, "The first scheme aims to bring inactive residential units into the market for affordable rent, while the second enhances the purchasing power of young individuals and couples to help them acquire their first home."

Regarding DISY's proposal to expedite the issuance of permits by District Administrative Organizations, Minister Ioannou highlighted the recent implementation of a new process for the issuance of urban planning certificates for developments of up to two houses. He added, “The new process significantly facilitates and accelerates the issuance of certificates, involving private planners more actively through a special form-checklist that certifies the necessary conditions for development are met.”

He further noted that this process has been positively evaluated and is expected to soon be expanded to other low-risk developments, such as apartment buildings with up to 20 units or row houses of up to 12 units.

"In collaboration with the Scientific and Technical Chamber of Cyprus (ETEK), we are also exploring additional ways to accelerate the licensing process to facilitate the work of District Administrative Organizations, planners, and citizens while also boosting development," added the Minister. He emphasized that with the approval of the District Administrative Organizations' budgets and the hiring of permanent staff, delays will be reduced.

Commenting on DISY's proposal to revise urban planning incentives and the "Build to Rent" scheme to make them more attractive to land development professionals, the Minister said that DISY's assessment that the measures are not appealing is unfounded. He noted there has been increased interest from the construction industry to utilize these measures, with the first agreements already signed with the Cyprus Land Development Corporation.

Regarding the development of student dormitories, the Minister mentioned that the Ministry of Interior is promoting the creation of 450 student rooms in the walled city of Nicosia, in cooperation with the private sector and the Municipality of Nicosia, with a budget of €15 million. These rooms will be made available to students who meet specific socio-economic criteria at predetermined affordable rental prices. "In cooperation with the private sector and Local Authorities, the Ministry of Interior is ready to consider expanding the scheme to other areas," added Mr. Ioannou.

In reference to the proposal to revise the housing plans of the Service for the Care and Rehabilitation of Displaced Persons, the Minister said, “The revision of the criteria has already been announced to align with the current realities and the needs of the beneficiaries.” He noted that the revised criteria include an increase in income thresholds and the correction of other distortions, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of beneficiaries. These criteria are expected to be approved by the Criteria Advisory Committee and will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for final approval and immediate implementation within the next three weeks.

"I would also like to remind everyone that, taking into account the increasing needs, we have increased the rent allowance provided by the Service by 15% for single individuals, families, and students, and by 25% for two-person families since the beginning of the year," the Minister added.

As for the housing schemes aimed at revitalizing mountainous, remote, and disadvantaged areas and specific rural areas, and the suggestion to revise them, Minister Ioannou said that several provisions were amended last May, broadening their scope and correcting distortions that led to unequal treatment of beneficiaries. The aim of these amendments is to allow more individuals to benefit from the schemes.

"At the same time, through our comprehensive housing policy, we are giving a more substantial role to the Cyprus Land Development Corporation, entrusting it with the executive responsibility for various schemes, recognizing its social character and long-standing experience in the affordable housing sector," the Minister said. He added, "As a developer of affordable housing, the CLDC can also take advantage of incentives for granting additional building coefficient to produce more affordable housing for the benefit of its beneficiaries."

The Minister concluded, “The housing policy adopted by the Government is dynamic, continuously evaluated, and where the state’s financial capabilities allow, we intend to enrich it with more initiatives to address the housing needs of citizens.”