Housing policy and child protection were at the centre of a meeting held on Tuesday between Social Cohesion and Family Minister Domna Michailidou and the Austrian Ambassador to Greece, Gerda Vogl.
Welcoming the ambassador, Michailidou said her presence signified "a mutual commitment to strengthening the long-standing relationship and fruitful cooperation between our countries, especially in the field of national policies for housing and child protection." She presented Greece's social policy programmes for social housing, rent support, the € 250 income support benefit given each November for low-income pensioners and people with disabilities, the "Accessibility at Home" programme and the € 200 rent subsidy for public sector employees transferred to island, mountainous, and disadvantaged areas.
On her part, Ambassador Vogl presented Austria’s public housing model and highlighted the example of Vienna’s municipal administration, which is the largest housing owner in Austria. As a result of this policy, Vienna’s rental market is among the most affordable in Europe.
The Minister commented on Austria’s housing policy: "Austria has implemented significant housing reforms. This specific policy is also being applied and implemented in Greece through the social exchange program introduced by the Mitsotakis government. The European housing crisis is a complex issue that EU member states must work to resolve. Any planning that has proven effective in one European country serves as a powerful tool for the whole of Europe."
During the meeting, the two sides also discussed the policies of both countries for child protection and deinstitutionalisation of children.