In November, together with Habitat for Humanity Bulgaria, we launched a series of new training sessions in six communities included in the implementation of the project HERO: Housing and Empowerment for Roma, organizing groups in Tvarditsa, Botevgrad, and Yablanitsa.
The training sessions focus on the topics “Energy Efficiency of Housing” and “Home Maintenance: Improving Living Conditions – Problems and Solutions.”
Participants receive information on:
- Legal procedures for construction;
- Stages of the investment process;
- Key principles to ensure a building is sustainable and safe;
- Common mistakes often made during renovations;
- The importance and priorities when planning and implementing home improvements.
Habitat Bulgaria conducts the seminars as part of the project HERO: Housing and Empowerment for Roma. This pilot project of the European Union, targeting Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia, aims to showcase a new investment model for socio-economic support of vulnerable groups, including marginalized Roma individuals. It is initiated by the European Parliament and implemented by the European Commission in partnership with the Council of Europe Development Bank.
In Bulgaria, the project is implemented by the Trust for Social Achievement Foundation in partnership with the Integro Association and Habitat Bulgaria. The project aims to test an innovative social investment model designed to overcome the socio-economic exclusion of disadvantaged individuals. The model includes measures to support access to housing and employment by combining microloans for housing construction/renovation with capacity-building initiatives, such as financial literacy training and employment support to enhance job skills.
HERO: Housing and Empowerment for Roma Project will be implemented in 2023–2024, involving approximately 200 beneficiaries in the municipalities of Botevgrad, Peshtera, Yablanitsa, Rakovski, Tvarditsa, and Velingrad. Learn more here: https://hfh.bg/hero/
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