With special emphasis on addressing the housing crisis, the Minister of Family and Social Cohesion, Domna Michailidou, announced a new “Renovate and Rent“ program during her television interview on “Koinonia Ora Mega.” The minister highlighted the clear difference between the existing and the new program being prepared by the government. As she noted, the current program provides subsidies up to 60% and up to €8,100 for works costing up to €13,500. In contrast, the new program, expected to launch within the first months of 2026, represents a much stronger incentive, with subsidies reaching up to 90% and amounts up to €36,000, aimed at activating thousands of closed and old residences.
Domna Michailidou emphasized that relocation to rural areas is a critical factor in demographics and reminded of the expansion of the Relocation Program to six new Regional Units: Drama, Kilkis, Serres, Florina, Pella, and Kastoria.
As she stressed, the program has been designed to substantially strengthen border regions and provide incentives for return or new settlement, with financial support of €10,000 without income criteria, while its expansion will continue to other island and mainland areas where intense demographic pressures are recorded.
According to the report by Dimitris Katsaganis on powergame.gr, the ministry plans to “open” the new “Renovate and Rent” program in the second half of 2026. This program will cover up to 90% of the owner’s expenses. The income limit is set at €35,000 for couples, with an increase of €5,000 for each child, according to the same announcement. Therefore, the income limit for a family with 2 children will amount to €45,000, close to “middle class” levels.
Estimates from relevant officials predict that based on the available fund of €500 million (provided it is fully exhausted), and the new extremely expanded income criteria (plus the increased subsidy), approximately 17,000-18,000 residences could be renovated.
