The Attica Region has become the first regional authority in Greece to use European funds to build Supported Living Homes for people with disabilities, starting with the Municipality of Ilioupoli.
The contract for the first structure was signed by Attica Governor Nikos Hardalias, Ilioupoli Mayor Stathis Psyrropoulos, Giorgos Kormas, managing director of the region's development organization New Metropolitan Attica S.A., and a representative of the contractor.
The project has a total budget of 3.25 million euros, funded through European resources under the Regional Program "Attica" 2021-2027, and is expected to be completed within 24 months. The contract covers construction of a three-story building on a 1,100 square meter municipal plot, housing two Supported Living Homes with a combined capacity of 18 residents in single rooms, along with parking, a garden and recreation areas. New Metropolitan Attica S.A. is the contracting authority, while the Association of Parents, Guardians and Friends of People with Disabilities "Hermes" is designated as the project owner and will be responsible for running the facility.
Hardalias said the signing marked the start of a program with a clear social impact and strong political significance. He said the three new facilities, built and funded through European resources, would allow fellow citizens with disabilities to live with safety, autonomy and dignity within the community rather than on its margins. He added that social policy for the region was not about declarations but about infrastructure, services and consistent choices that support the most vulnerable and their families. Hardalias said the region already funds 13 facilities and is now building three new ones, and that Metropolitan Attica is the first Greek region to use NSRF funds to construct Supported Living Homes from the ground up. He said the region's role was deeply social, that its responsibility was to leave no one behind, and that it aimed to turn every available funding tool into meaningful care. He said Ilioupoli was the beginning and that the region would continue with consistency, planning and action.
Mayor calls project a lifelong dream fulfilled
Psyrropoulos said the signing was a major step for the wellbeing of fellow residents with disabilities in Ilioupoli, and that a lifelong dream of the Hermes association's parents and guardians group was becoming reality. He said the home would offer people with disabilities a safe living environment that strengthens their independence and quality of life, and that the municipality would continue investing in projects that boost social cohesion and make Ilioupoli accessible and inclusive. He thanked Hardalias for the Attica Region's ongoing cooperation and support for major projects in the city.
Two more homes planned in Salamina and Palaio Faliro
Hardalias included the construction of three new Supported Living Homes for people with disabilities in the Regional Program "Attica 2021-2027" last September, making Attica the first Greek region to approve NSRF funding for the construction of such homes from scratch, with a total budget of 4.75 million euros.
Besides the Ilioupoli facility, the region will proceed with a 1.26 million euro building in the Municipality of Salamina to house one unit, with New Metropolitan Attica S.A. as beneficiary, and a 230,000 euro facility in the Municipality of Palaio Faliro, with the municipality itself as beneficiary.
What the housing units provide
Supported Living Homes are small residential units for people with disabilities as well as vulnerable children and teenagers. They provide housing, food, medical and social care from specialized staff, along with support for building skills that help residents live as independently and with as much dignity as possible within the community. The goal is social inclusion, deinstitutionalization and preventing social exclusion.
The region already funds the operation of 13 Supported Living Homes through the European Social Fund+, with a total budget of 5 million euros.
