Creation of 700 temporary refugee accommodation places in homes and households in Athens and Thessaloniki

Hosting program for asylum seekers in Greece by SolidarityNowWith the support of the UNHCR

The aim of the initiative
“The aim of the initiative is to contribute to the solution of the problem of housing and living conditions of our fellow citizens seeking asylum to relocate in other EU countries. Through the program, funded exclusively by the UNHCR in Greece, vulnerable groups that in recent years have been living and traveling under inhumane conditions, will be hosted in homes in Greece”, says Epaminondas Farmakis, Managing Director of SolidarityNow. He continues: “At SolidarityNow, we believe that providing decent conditions to migrant populations further reinforces solidarity, through which it is possible to overcome any kind of crisis: humanitarian, spiritual, economic, political”.The program and its fundingThe program encourages the participation of ordinary citizens and migrants living in Greece, in a practical demonstration of solidarity towards vulnerable people, through the provision of decent housing in their own homes.
In order to support the relocation program of the asylum seekers and of persons who are eligible to relocate, SolidarityNow creates 600 temporary accommodation places in Attica, and 100 in Thessaloniki and the wider regions of the two cities.
In particular, citizens who wish to offer their house for hosting asylum seekers will receive financial support -approximately 300 euros over a three-member family for one month- in order to meet basic daily expenses resulting from the cohabitation. It is important to also note that the food needs of people who will be hosted, will not place a burden on the household as it will be covered on a monthly basis through food stamps (monthly coupons worth 250 euros per family of two people, or 150 euros per person), throughout the hosting period.
Implementation of the ProgramSolidarityNow addresses ordinary citizens. We ask you exhibit solidarity by offering housing to the people who need it most.“The recent developments raise many questions relating to the protection of people, so this is why we ask for the support of the citizens so that we can highlight our belief in the humanitarian ideal, which, so far, we have demonstrated as a country. For this reason we “bet” on the housing program, as a symbolic action, reflecting the practical demonstration of solidarity”, says Elli Xenou, Head of Programs of SolidarityNow.And she continues: “In this great act of solidarity, it is important for citizens to know that they are not alone. We are by their side. Both the guests and the hosts will have access to free medical, legal and other services that we provide at our Solidarity Centers in Athens and Thessaloniki. In the course of hospitality and cohabitation, they will be supported and guided by a trained team of social scientists”.“For the implementation of this innovative and necessary program, we would like to ask for your support!”, said Elli Xenou.“We urge you to encourage families or individuals wishing to host either an asylum applicant or a family, for a certain time period”. We seek preferably residential accommodation, and non-residential (eg summer houses).

The philosophy of the program and what it stands for
With the support of the High Commissioner of United Nations for Refugees and the European Commission, 20,000 reception places will be created in Greece.
During their stay in our country, it is important to offer these people the basic and obvious: shelter and food. It is a priority for us to offer them humane and decent living conditions. It is important for them to feel welcome again after a dangerous trip due to uprooting.
In one of the darkest periods of the refugee and migrant crisis, SolidarityNow turns to you citizens. We ask you to show once again your solidarity by offering housing to people who need it most.

We seek to help our fellow citizens to view these people as if they are a relative or a friend to whom they open their homes and welcome and host them. And share: space, friendship, food, culture.

SolidarityNow is a network of people and organizations established in Greece in 2013 by the initiative of the Open Society Foundations (and the support of the EEA Grants, the Norwegian Embassy in Greece and others), aiming to help the populations most affected by the crisis. SolidarityNow supports civil society organizations and public entities operating in Greece, to implement programs. SolidarityNow operates two centers in Athens and Thessaloniki, where vulnerable population groups can receive free medical, legal, etc. aid.

From early 2015 to date, SolidarityNow has allocated 10 million euros to projects solely on migration and the refugee crisis in Greece.