The municipal council at the Sofia City Hall approved Thursday the latter's proposal to apply for EU funding with a "Residential Housing" project.

The council people approved unanimously the proposal, which is to be financed by the EU operational program "Regional Development." The minimum amount to finance such projects is BGN 1 M and the maximum – BGN 5 M.

The Sofia Chief Architect, Petar Dikov, informed the City Hall has intentions to prepare a project for the construction of about 110-120 apartment units in several buildings, located in the Sofia "Filipovtsi" district, populated mainly by Roma.

The idea is for the Roma to be included in the construction process, but the details about how exactly this will happen are still being ironed pout. The Roma will be housed in the new buildings and will have to pay an affordable monthly rent while their illegal houses will be removed and the land plots used to build new housing for socially disadvantaged people.

Dikov explained this was a pilot project and could later be applied to other similar terrains, adding there is a need for a residential program to involve not only Roma and the disadvantaged, but young families.

The Chief Architect also announced the launch of a program to renew the construction of municipal housing, which is to happen in the next term of the City Hall.