The application process for housing projects on Velje brdo caused a large number of reactions and justified concerns from citizens, the Association of Tenants of Montenegro announced.
"In the past few days, we have received numerous calls and complaints that indicate serious problems in connection with this process," the statement of the Tenants' Association states.
A large number of citizens, as specified, express fear that their personal data could be misused, including their possible use for political purposes.
"This creates additional mistrust towards this project, its purpose and method of processing. We remind you that the protection of citizens' privacy is guaranteed by law and that it is the duty of the competent institutions to provide this protection clearly and transparently," the announcement states.
In addition, many citizens, especially the elderly and those from socially disadvantaged categories, pointed out the inaccessibility of online applications.
"Relying exclusively on a digital platform excludes a large number of potential users who do not have access to the Internet or sufficient digital skills. We believe that this method of application is unfair and discriminatory against the most vulnerable groups," said the Association of Tenants.
Interested citizens, including sub-tenants, do not, as reported, have any information about the key aspects of this project, such as conditions for obtaining apartments, criteria for selecting users, square meter prices or payment dynamics. This approach undermines public trust and creates doubts about the seriousness and transparency of the project itself.
"In particular, we would like to emphasize that this problem additionally points to the importance of the activities of the Tenants' Association to create a register of tenants - an umbrella register that would include all those who are in need of an apartment. Our initiative, which we launched on our own initiative, aims to create a database that would serve as a basis for a fair and transparent distribution of housing resources," the announcement states.
The Association said that the relevant institutions had turned a deaf ear to their call for help in the implementation of that project. Ignoring that initiative further raises doubts about the sincerity of the intentions behind the Velje brdo project and the ability of the authorities to respond adequately to the needs of the most vulnerable citizens.
The messages and requests, as stated, relate to transparency and information, whereby the Association called on the authorities to immediately publish all relevant information about the Velje brdo project, including the criteria, conditions and method of distribution of apartments.
"We insist on enabling applications through physical offices as well so that all citizens have an equal opportunity to participate. We ask for clear guarantees about the security and purpose of the collected data, with the mandatory exclusion of any abuse for political purposes," the announcement states.
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The Association invited the authorities to join their efforts in creating a register of tenants as a key step towards a fair and transparent housing policy.
The Association of Tenants of Montenegro appealed to all relevant institutions to responsibly and seriously address these issues.
"We expect urgent action to ensure equality, justice and confidence of citizens in all projects related to their basic existence - the right to a home," the announcement concludes.
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