The Prime Minister Antonis Samaras met at his office with the Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis, his deputy Antonis Bezas, the Minister of Labor, Social Insurance and Welfare Yannis Vroutsis and the current and former management of the National Social Solidarity Center (EKKA), before announcing a series of measures and initiatives for the homeless and social housing.
Mr. Samaras explained that the government will take advantage of buildings it has at is disposal to house the homeless and provide them with basic healthcare services, in an effort to help them reintegrate into society. The PM revealed that private initiative will play an important role in this effort and as such, recent legislation will make it easier to donate and help.
Amongst the joint initiatives is the creation of an Emergency Assistance Center for the Homeless, which will be housed on Vathis Square and is expected to begin operations in about a month and a half. The center will operate under EKKA’s wing and with the support of the Ministry of Health. The center will house 80 people for up to 20 days, after which point they will be transferred to other short-term hospitality centers or protected apartments.
The government’s plan is to create four more such emergency assistance centers for the homeless in Thessaloniki, Patra, Giannena and Larissa. The Prime Minister added that more private initiatives are taking place, including the creation of a social apartment building, where 72 single-parent and large families will find shelter.
