Miljana is 27 years old and lives in a Roma settlement in Svilajnac. She graduated from trade high school. Miljana is a single mother, her daughter Petra is seven years old.
The day is sunny but cold. The neighborhood is busy - children are running around, someone in work clothes is going to work at a nearby construction site, someone approaches us because we are standing with the representative of the Municipality, and there are always interesting questions for her, someone goes to express their condolences to the family of a deceased neighbor. Miljana opens the door to a small, dilapidated house. On the bed are bags full of things that await her and Petra's move to the apartment they get to use in the newly constructed building for social housing. The building that will be their new home and the neighborhood where they currently live are separated by only one narrow street, but the new living conditions could not be further from those they live in now. The apartment they will soon move into is fully equipped with new furniture and household appliances.
Miljana Nestorović, photo UNOPS/Sanja Knežević
Miljana is a beneficiary of the project New Homes and Inclusive Environment for Vulnerable Categories of the Population in Svilajnac, which is part of the EU Support for Social Housing and Active Inclusion (EU SHAI) programme. In addition to the apartment she will receive for use, Miljana also receives support in becoming financially independent and in social inclusion. She participates in workshops to improve her employability, where she attends training for passing the category B driving test.
Roma settlement in Svilajnac, photo UNOPS/Sanja Knežević
New social housing building in Svilajnac, constructed within the EU SHAI programme, photo UNOPS/Sanja Knežević
Apart from Svilajnac, social housing and active inclusion projects are implemented in another 18 cities and municipalities in Serbia, while small infrastructure projects focusing on the improvement of social and communal infrastructure are also implemented in Svilajnac and in four other cities and municipalities. The European Union has allocated 27 million euros for the EU SHAI programme which will provide housing solutions for members of the most vulnerable social groups through the construction, purchase and reconstruction of apartments/houses. Complementary active inclusion measures are mandatory for all beneficiaries, and they will contribute to their better inclusion in society. They include support in the field of education, improvement of employability, employment and self-employment and access to various social protection services.
