Social Housing in Supportive Environment (SHSE) is a programme that provides housing and social protection to the most vulnerable citizens of Serbia. The programme has been implemented since 2003, with financial support of international institutions. It was initiated with a joint effort of The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of the Republic of Serbia, Commissariat for Refugees and donors. Housing Center is one of the creators of the concept of SHSE and has been constantly implementing and improving it since 2003.

Beneficiaries of SHSE projects are the most vulnerable categories of the population in Serbia – refugees, internally displaced persons, accommodated in collective centers or inadequate private accommodation, Rroma, persons with disabilities, persons suffering from a chronic disease and homeless people. The problem they all share is inability to solve, on their own and under the market conditions, their housing problem and without assistance and support of the community they cannot achieve successful social integration.

Social housing in supportive environment is one of the extended social welfare rights and it consists of two components:

1. Construction of housing units, within the developed tissue, on good quality locations, in the vicinity of public facilities and traffic communications. Housing units are property of the local self-governments, intended exclusively for meeting the social and protective needs of the citizens and they cannot be bought off.
2. Creation of a supportive environment for beneficiaries, which is provided by the Center for Social Work and the host families. Support services are versatile and adjusted to beneficiaries’ individual needs

Social Housing in Supportive Environment is not just a form of housing support – it is an instrument for achieving beneficiaries’ social inclusion and a way of their stepping out of the vicious circle of poverty. The influence of the programme on beneficiaries’ social inclusion has been confirmed by the research carried out by Housing Center with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in 2009.

By the end of 2009 404 housing units have been built in 21 municipalities in Serbia and they accommodate 1.090 persons. In the years to come the programme shall be financed at a larger scale by Pre-Accession Funds of EU and funds of the Government of Serbia. (Review of the implemented SHSE projects)

Social Housing in Supportive Environment project is one of  the finalists of the world contest for innovative solutions in the field of housing for 2009 (World Habitat Awards). (www.bshf.org)

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Social housing in supportive environment

PREVIEW OF IMPLEMENTED AND ONGOING PROJECTS