The Tenants' Association invited citizens, primarily tenants, to gather in front of the Capital City Assembly on Thursday, February 6th, starting at 11 am.
They are demanding an increase in subsidies for tenants, expansion of the right to subsidies, transparency in the allocation of social housing, and attendance at sessions of the Capital City Assembly.
"Tenants, the time has come to stand together and show that we will no longer remain silent or be ignored! The Tenants' Association of Montenegro calls on all our brothers and sisters, tenants, regardless of where you live in Montenegro, to gather on Thursday, February 6, at 11 a.m., in front of the Capital City Assembly and show that the dignity of every citizen is someone's task and right, and not something that should be the subject of ignoring and political hypocrisy, frivolity and inhumane political trade," the statement said.
Therefore, as they point out, they call on tenants to come together and lead a fight that is not just for better subsidies, but for a fairer system, for respect for their rights, for a just and humanized housing policy, which cannot be a luxury, but rather the basis of every dignified life in this country.
"Why is this a fight that must be ours? Because this is a fight for our rights – the right to housing, the right to live in dignity, the right to a decent standard of living. Tenants have been on the margins of society for years, put in a situation where they have to fight for basic living conditions, and the system continues to ignore their needs. We are not statistics, we are people with families, with dreams and ambitions. Every tenant is a human story that has not been heard, and the dignity of each of us is at risk," the Tenants' Association says.
They say their demands are not just appeals, but a call to action.
"Increase in subsidies: The current 50 euros is not enough for any tenant to pay for basic living expenses. Subsidies must increase so that they can at least cover at least part of the real costs of renting a space.
Expanding the right to subsidies: To give all tenants, regardless of the formality of the contract, a chance to cope with rising costs, we demand the right to subsidies for all those who can prove their status, even without a contract. Transparency in the allocation of social housing: Our country must show accountability to those who are most vulnerable – we demand public access to the list of social housing beneficiaries and updating the criteria to ensure fairness and dignity.
"Presence at the Assembly session: Tenants must be present at every Assembly session because the budget being considered directly affects our lives. It is not just a formality, it is a matter of our daily survival," they stated.
The Association emphasized that this fight is not just a fight for tenants, but a fight for all citizens of Montenegro.
"We are all affected by the state of society, because a system that does not care about the most vulnerable will always leave us in a dangerous situation - we will all be faced with the consequences of unjust policies that favor only privileged groups.
This is a fight for equality, a fight that must not stop until real change is achieved!
"Although many have called for a boycott of retail chains, the real question is: Who has done anything concrete for us so far? Who has reached out to those who do not even have the minimum for a dignified life? Boycotts of retail chains do not solve our everyday needs, but this protest can bring concrete changes," the statement said.
The Tenants' Association said that they will have a meeting with the President of the Capital City Assembly on February 6, where they will present their demands and seek concrete answers on how to solve the problems that tenants face every day. After the meeting, they will inform the public about the results of the conversation.
They also invited the student informal group "Kamo śutra" to join them at the gathering.
"We expect your support - especially from young forces and organizations that understand that this is a fight for a better future. We call on the informal student movement 'Kamo sjutra' to support this initiative with its presence and organized engagement, because only together can we initiate the changes that are necessary for all of us.
"Tenants, now is the time to stand together! We do not want to be ignored any longer, we do not want to be denied our basic human rights. This is not just a matter of housing policy, this is a matter of life. Join us and be part of the fight for the dignity of all citizens of Montenegro," the statement concludes.
"The Secretariat for Social Housing is hiding information from citizens"
The Tenants' Association previously announced that they have been trying to obtain official data on the abuse of social housing in Podgorica for months, but that the Secretariat for Social Housing refuses to respond.
"Instead of transparency and justice, the citizens of Podgorica are faced with the non-transparent work of institutions and the systematic concealment of information. We remind the public that serious suspicions have already arisen that social apartments have been allocated to people who are not entitled to them, while those who need them most are still waiting for the housing issue to be resolved," the Association states.
They say that, instead of confronting this problem, the authorities are ignoring legitimate requests for information and continuing their policy of silence.
"What is the Secretariat hiding? Who received social housing and under what conditions? Are there officials, their relatives and other privileged persons among the beneficiaries? Why do institutions refuse to publish the list of beneficiaries of social housing? Instead of responding, the Secretariat chooses to ignore the requests of non-governmental organizations and citizens. We remind them that institutions are obliged to be accountable to the public, not to protect the interests of privileged individuals," the statement said.
The Association stressed that they expected that the change in the capital would bring about the desired cooperation. This change was announced as an opportunity to open new perspectives in solving the housing problems of citizens, especially tenants, they point out. However, instead, they say, they encountered even greater non-transparency and resistance to all attempts to find out key information.
"What will we do? We will launch a public campaign on social media to expose the ignoring of institutions. We call on all citizens to seek answers from the Secretariat themselves and apply pressure. We will contact investigative media and demand an in-depth investigation into abuses in the allocation of apartments. We will not stop until we get answers," the Tenants' Association warned.
They asked the Secretariat to immediately publish a list of beneficiaries of social housing and the conditions under which they received it.
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