Greece: Greece Accommodation Update – August 2019
Overview
By the end of August 2019, UNHCR had created 25,404 places in the accommodation scheme as part of the ESTIA programme. These were in 4,442 apartments and 15 buildings, in 14 cities and 7 islands across Greece.
The Accommodation Scheme1 provides rented housing to vulnerable asylum-seekers and refugees in Greece. Urban accommodation helps restore a sense of normalcy and provides better access to services, including education and health. People are additionally supported by social workers and interpreters who help them access medical services, employment, language courses and recreational activities.
Demographics
In total, since November 2015, 60,175 individuals have benefitted from the accommodation scheme. 21,616 people were accommodated as of the end of August 2019, 7,350 of whom are recognized refugees. 50% of the residents are children. The clear majority of those accommodated are families, with the average family size of five people.
More than one in three residents have at least one of the vulnerabilities that make them eligible for the accommodation scheme. The three most common vulnerabilities are:
11% Serious medical condition
3% Single parent
3% Disability
