Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – The Tenants' Association of Montenegro will launch a civic initiative to review the Velje Brdo project, with the aim of either halting it or repurposing it in line with the already adopted National Social Housing Strategy.

“We believe this is a project with serious and long-term implications for public finances, urban development and the state’s social policy, and that it must be considered within a fully transparent, sustainable and professionally grounded framework, while fully taking into account the real needs of citizens who rent their homes,” the NGO said in a press release.

The key reason for the initiative is the fact that a clear and comprehensive financing model, as well as the full implementation timeline for all phases of the project, has not yet been fully presented to the public. 

“Furthermore, there are no publicly available and legally binding guarantees that the planned scope of construction will be fully completed without imposing a significant and long-term fiscal burden on the citizens of Montenegro,” the press release reads.

The Association stated that, under the current model and structure of the project, the very citizens who have been unable to resolve their housing needs for decades, which includes more than 40,000 families in Montenegro, could benefit the least from what is set to be the country’s largest and most expensive state housing project.

“This raises serious questions about social justice, public policy priorities and the actual accessibility of housing for those who need it most,” the Association said.

The NGO called for the immediate publication of the project’s full financial framework, including funding sources, contracts, phase-by-phase costs and economic sustainability analyses, so that citizens can have a complete understanding of the fiscal obligations the project entails.