site.btaSofia Municipal Council Rejects Report on Emergency and Long-Term Housing Initiative for Vulnerable Families

The Sofia Municipal Council on Thursday voted down a report on the implementation of a project for providing emergency and long-term housing for vulnerable families in two Sofia districts – Moderno Predgradie and  and Zaharna Fabrika. The report was submitted by the Mayor of Sofia, Vassil Terziev.

The report proposed that Sofia Municipality receive a grant of EUR 545,000from the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) to provide emergency temporary accommodation through mobile housing units and to develop a plan for long-term housing solutions. The project involves cooperation with the Roma for Democracy Foundation as a civic mediator, with Sofia Municipality playing a leading role in coordinating local activities.

In the Zaharna Fabrika district, illegal and life-threatening structures were removed on April 15, 2025. Many residents were provided temporary shelter through social services at a Temporary Accommodation Center, the report notes.

The report also highlights that in the Moderno Predgradie district, a large-scale infrastructure project is planned - the modernization of the Sofia–Dragoman railway line passing through the area. The project includes adding a third track  and covers a broad zone affecting numerous inhabited buildings. Many of these buildings were constructed illegally on state-owned land, and their removal is expected.

Furthermore, the report states that during the exploration of suitable social projects for prevention, contacts and negotiations were made with various NGOs. Consultations were held with the CEB, which has a clear social orientation, to collaborate on providing temporary shelter via mobile housing units to the most vulnerable families in the two affected districts. The ultimate goal is the implementation of a broader project and the development of a long-term housing strategy.

CEB has secured a limited grant of EUR 545,000 from Spanish donors for the purposes of research, technical preparation, and the purchase and delivery of mobile housing units for the temporary accommodation of vulnerable families. The Moderno Predgradie district has offered a plot of land for the project, as well as technical support for its implementation. Stay in the mobile homes is intended to be limited to a maximum of 12 months, during which time long-term housing solutions will be sought for the accommodated families.