Oriana Papantoniou
Confusion spread Tuesday after many people interpreted a government announcement on Cyprus’ housing scheme for young couples as a reopening or extension of the program.
But the Interior Ministry quickly clarified that no new application period is being launched.
Speaking to Sport FM 95 and the program Diaspora Ideision, ministry spokesperson Margarita Kyriakou said the latest announcement αφορά only additional funding for applicants who had already applied and met the criteria but were previously left out because the available budget had run out.
“These are applications that had already received a positive evaluation,” Kyriakou explained.
According to the ministry, savings made elsewhere in the budget allowed officials to approve an additional 277 young people and couples under the scheme.
Beneficiaries are expected to begin receiving official notification letters soon, with the process expected to be completed by June.
Under the housing plan, eligible applicants can receive financial support of up to €50,000.
Kyriakou also ruled out, for now, the possibility of reopening the scheme for new applicants.
She said increasing subsidies without increasing the housing supply could end up pushing property prices even higher.
“By increasing the subsidy to citizens, demand for housing also increases, while supply has not increased accordingly,” she said, warning that this could drive prices up further.
The comments highlight the growing pressure surrounding housing affordability in Cyprus, especially among younger people struggling with rising rents and property prices.
