Five years after the destructive earthquake of 26 November 2019, 300 families who remained homeless will soon receive the keys to their new homes in Kombinat, a suburb of Tirana. The buildings have been constructed by the Municipality of Tirana using funds from the Reconstruction Program, and the beneficiaries will not be required to pay anything for their new homes.

Why is this important

The earthquake that struck with a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale, left 51 people dead and thousands of families homeless in Durrës, Tirana, Laç, Shijak, Thumanë, Kavajë, and Lezhë—some of the most affected areas. In response, the Government launched a reconstruction program funded not only by the state budget but also by European Union aid, as well as contributions from friendly governments such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

All families whose homes were declared uninhabitable have benefited from new housing built under this reconstruction program. While the reconstruction effort is not yet fully complete in the capital and Durres—municipalities with the highest number of damaged homes—the delivery of new homes to these 300 families marks a significant step forward in the recovery process.