Seven new public rental housing units in Tolmin

In his address, Minister Simon Maljevac recalled that more than a thousand public rental housing units have been built to date with EUR 60 million in EU funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan. "These funds have significantly contributed to improving housing conditions in Slovenia. EU funds were also crucial because they enabled us to support already planned housing projects in the interim period while preparing the legislative framework that will enable stable long-term financing for the construction of public rental housing." Maljevac also pointed out that every successfully completed project should be welcomed, especially in more remote or demographically vulnerable areas. "The seven new public rental apartments we are opening today may not seem like much at first glance. However, if we were to apply the same ratio to Ljubljana, this would mean as many as 180 new apartments. This fact speaks for itself – even a relatively small achievement in a small municipality is of exceptional importance to its community. It means that families can make a home here, young people can become independent, and even the more remote parts of the country can develop. This is the essence of the housing policy we are pursuing at the Ministry of a Solidarity-Based Future: that no one is overlooked, regardless of where they live," the Minister emphasised. 

In addition to Minister Maljevac, the speakers at the opening ceremony included Jerneja Jug Jerše, Head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia, Josip Mihalic, Director of the Recovery and Resilience Office, and Alen Červ, Mayor of Tolmin.

In his speech, the latter expressed his delight that the municipality had brought the project to fruition: "Today we are opening a building that will become home to seven families. Public rental apartments will provide them with a safe, affordable and, above all, high-quality home." 

Josip Mihalic, Director of the Office for Recovery and Resilience, pointed out that "there are currently around 1,300 projects active in Slovenia as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Slovenia has already paid out more than a billion euros from the budget fund to implement the measures included in the plan. These funds are not intended solely for central and urban areas; we are also using them to address the challenges of regional development and cohesion." 

Jerneja Jug Jerše, Head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia, touched on the importance of supporting the Recovery and Resilience Plan in the field of public housing construction: "People in Slovenia, as elsewhere in Europe, face extremely poor housing conditions, which we must urgently change. Affordable housing is one of the most important requirements for building social justice." She also pointed out that the new European Commission, which began work last year, is the first commission to have a commissioner responsible for housing policy. "Next year, the European Commission will adopt two important strategic documents; the first is a plan for affordable housing, and the second is the first European strategy for housing construction," she added. 

*Note – Full news items are available in Slovenian.