HOUSING
THESSALONIKI

Housing is central to the well-being, dignity and stability of individuals and communities and is a fundamental human rights enshrined in international law. The right to adequate housing is more than having a roof over one’s head, it is the right to live in safety and dignity in a decent home (OHCHR).

The Housing Thessaloniki platform provides information and data on the right to housing and access to housing through a number of tools: research, studies, programmes and targeted measures and good practices from Thessaloniki, as well as the legal framework at international and national level for the exercise of the right to housing in Greece and the EU.

HOUSING
POLICIES
IN THESSALONIKI

The Major Development Agency of Thessaloniki (MDAT SA) has the aim to develop a local Housing Observatory with a view to monitor and analyse housing market trends but also the social dimensions of housing exclusion in the city. The Observatory also focuses on the collection and analysis of data and evidence on policies, interventions and legislation so as to develop local level public policies in an evidence based manner.

PODCASTS

SOCIAL
RENTAL AGENCY
THESSALONIKI

The Social Rental Agency (SRA) of MDAT SA has been established to implement the Municipal Social and Affordable Housing Strategy for Thessaloniki and to ensure access to affordable and social housing for the city’s residents. The SRA has been identified as the most effective mechanism for the generation and delivery of affordable housing. The services of the SRA include:

Provision of brokerage services (administrative/legal service): from the identification of properties to the rental of homes
Provision of property management services, along the lines of Social Rental Agencies (administrative/legal/technical service)
Provision of services for the repair/maintenance/construction of properties or support/monitoring of such processes (technical service)
Support for affordable housing interventions through exchange of good practices, exchange of know-how and technical support for initiatives (such as affordable housing cooperatives, co-housing, etc.)

The main objective of the Social Rental Agency is the creation and management of a stock under public purview of social and affordable housing for use in the context of the implementation of housing programmes and implementation of local housing policies. In order for the provision of affordable housing to be sustainable, effective and with high social impact, the SRA aims to ensure:

the lowest possible rent compared to the average market price for a property with similar characteristics in the same area, all the while considering the income levels of potential beneficiaries of social housing
Security of tenure by aiming for the maximum possible lease term, which must in any case exceed both the contractual term of private leases and that of the housing programmes already in place
the decency of living conditions of the dwellings, possibly with minor or major maintenance, energy upscaling, renovation, etc.
Long-term public monitoring of the social effects and impact of affordable housing provision and tailoring interventions to this end

HOUSING
THESSALONIKI

HOUSING
POLICIES
IN THESSALONIKI

PODCASTS

SOCIAL
RENTAL AGENCY
THESSALONIKI