With appreciation and gratitude, the Municipality of Peshtera honored the Trust for Social Achievement for its longstanding support and joint efforts to benefit vulnerable communities and bring tangible improvements to living conditions in the town’s Roma neighborhoods.
During an official ceremony marking the holiday of Peshtera, Sarah Perrine, the Chief Executive Officer of TSA, accepted the municipality’s honorary award—a symbol of the strong and lasting partnership between the local government and the civil society sector.
The recognition comes at a critical time—dozens of families in Sofia’s Ilinden district were left without shelter or any proposed alternative housing. This case highlights the urgent need for long-term, practical solutions. The model developed by TSA offers precisely such an approach—one that can help address the longstanding issue of informal settlements in over 100 neighborhoods across the country.
Through its model for regulation and legal construction, TSA supports municipalities in formalizing informal settlements and implementing existing legal mechanisms that enable residents to gain legal ownership of their land and homes. Peshtera was the first municipality to adopt this approach. Today, Kyustendil and Dupnitsa are following the same path. The results are visible: families who once lived in uncertainty now have legal homes and the ability to plan their children’s future with confidence and hope.
“This award gives us even more energy to keep going. We believe that when institutions, civil organizations, and local communities work together—with respect and persistence—real change is not only possible, it is inevitable,” noted Sarah Perrine, CEO of TSA.
We thank the Municipality of Peshtera for the trust, recognition, and partnership! We move forward with even greater determination—so that every family can have the right to a home and the chance for a better future.