The Prime Minister and the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Sofia Zacharaki discussed with beneficiaries about their experiences, with the aim of improving newer initiatives, such as “My House II”, and facilitating citizens at all stages of inclusion in housing programs.

Participants in “My House I” highlighted the importance of the Investment Committee of the My House I, which took on the task of resolving obstacles or problems, protecting beneficiaries who were even on the verge of foreclosure through no fault of their own or due to objective difficulties in finding a property.

It was noted, among other examples, that the Investment Committee intervened in favor of beneficiaries in cases where they missed deadlines because would-be sellers backed out, as well as in cases where participants were informed very late in the process that the property they were about to buy had minor eligibility problems.

Particular care was given to applications from families with children with health problems who wanted to move near treatment facilities, and to households who had sold their previous home to cover their share of the equity in the new home purchase.

Meeting attendees also said that the cost of servicing the loan they have received is significantly lower compared to the rent they were previously paying.

DYPA Governor, Spyros Protopsaltis, stressed during the meeting that the Investment Committee has acted as a direct response body, reviewing in dozens of meetings citizens’ complaints, even communicating with them on a daily basis until a solution to their problem is found.

Those who joined the “Economy – Renovate for Young People” program said that, as they were aware of the financial provisions offered by the government, they moved purposefully towards an older property with lower costs, adding that they have now issued the permits required for the subsidized energy upgrade and aesthetic-functional renovation of the house.

The Prime Minister stressed that it is particularly important to learn lessons from people’s experiences to improve all active programs, adding that housing purchase or upgrade policies are part of a broader matrix of actions to increase affordable housing and stimulate the economy.

The meeting noted that “My House I” benefited mainly vulnerable households and the middle class, as 87% of subsidized loans were given to beneficiaries with an income of up to 24,000 euros per year.

There have been 9,000 sign-ups to the program and to date more than 7,600 disbursements, totaling 736.3 million euros.

Regarding “My House II“, which has expanded age and income criteria, the applications submitted for eligibility certification exceed 100,000.