More than 200 apartment blocks in refugee settlements are still waiting for lifts, leaving elderly residents and people with mobility problems struggling to leave their homes.
Only 124 of the 368 apartment blocks originally included in the nationwide lift installation programme have had the work completed. Another 43 were deemed unsuitable for renovation and marked for demolition, while 201 remain without lifts.
The figures, provided by the Department of Town Planning and Housing, highlight delays in addressing a problem that has left some residents effectively confined to their apartments.
In some buildings, narrow staircases also create serious difficulties during medical emergencies, as ambulance crews may be unable to carry patients out on stretchers.
Residents left unable to leave their homes
The issue was highlighted by a report in Phileleftheros about residents of Komiton Street in the Agioi Anargyroi 2 refugee settlement in Larnaca.
Among the cases reported were a 92-year-old woman who has not left her apartment for 10 years and an 82-year-old woman who has been confined to her home for a year.
The latter reportedly fell down the stairs last August but could not be transported by ambulance to hospital. Eight years earlier, a 69-year-old man living on the same street died after delays in getting him to hospital.
The cases illustrate the difficulties faced by residents in buildings without lifts, particularly those who are elderly or have health conditions affecting their mobility.
Lift installations moved under the ‘Ktizo’ scheme
The original programme to install lifts in refugee settlements was later discontinued, with the work incorporated into the government’s Ktizo grant scheme.
The scheme provides an additional grant of €90,000 for lift installation, alongside financial assistance for the renovation of apartment buildings.
However, the Department of Town Planning and Housing confirmed that no lifts have yet been installed through Ktizo.
In the scheme’s second phase, 70 apartment blocks are included, 48 of which do not have lifts. Procedures are under way in 23 of those 48 buildings, but none has completed renovation and lift installation.
The third phase covers 245 apartment blocks, including 153 without lifts. A total of 47 buildings have been approved to proceed earlier following requests from their owners. Nine of these do not have lifts.
Delays and lack of agreement among owners
The department also identified difficulties in securing the consent of all apartment owners, which is required under the law before a lift can be installed.
It said some ground-floor owners refuse to give their consent, particularly where they have unauthorised extensions or additions that would need to be demolished.
The department has sent lists of buildings where illegal structures were identified to the District Local Government Organisations for inspection and action.
In cases where installing a conventional lift is not immediately possible, the department has promoted stair lifts for buildings where residents have mobility problems.
It said preliminary consultations had taken place with residents who agreed to the installation of stair lifts. The House Refugees Committee had also been informed of the initiative.
However, residents of Komiton Street told Phileleftheros they were not aware of the scheme. The department reportedly said the programme had been completed and could be announced again depending on demand.
Problems extend beyond lifts in refugee settlements
In Agioi Anargyroi 2, 14 of the settlement’s 33 apartment blocks do not have lifts. Three buildings included in the first phase of Ktizo have also been declared dangerous by the Larnaca District Local Government Organisation, with the department preparing to proceed with their demolition.
The condition of pavements and public spaces in the Agioi Anargyroi settlements has also raised concerns.
Disy MP for Famagusta Giorgos Karoullas said he intends to raise the issue before the House Refugees Committee. He called for a comprehensive urban improvement programme covering energy and planning issues, lifts, pavements, roads, activities and facilities for older residents.
Karoullas also said he would write to the Interior Minister, the Department of Town Planning and Housing and the Directorate-General for Growth to seek support and funding.
He described Ktizo as a positive development but said its implementation needed to accelerate and residents needed better information about the scheme.
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