Key Issues of Housing Policy and Higher Education at Today's Council of Ministers Meeting in Cyprus

Today’s Council of Ministers meeting at the Presidential Palace will address significant topics, including housing policy and higher education.

President Nikos Christodoulides, addressing the House of Representatives, emphasized,

“Among the issues on today’s agenda, I highlight the discussions on two crucial matters related to housing policy. This remains one of our biggest challenges, particularly for our youth, following the announcement and implementation of Cyprus’ first comprehensive housing strategy in October.”

During today’s session, we will approve specific criteria for projects implemented by the Central Agency for Equal Distribution of Burden. This follows our discussions and decisions in February, aiming to increase the number of beneficiaries eligible for favorable financing terms for housing, professional activities, studies, home energy upgrades, mortgage subsidies, professional loans, and more.

“I consider this intervention particularly important, as it will assist many people, especially the youth,”

the President noted.

In the same context of our housing policy, we will also approve a €108 million loan agreement from the European Investment Bank to finance the construction of student dormitories for TEPAK in Limassol and Paphos. These are significant measures for our housing policy.

We will also discuss and decide on revising the entry permit procedures for prospective students from third countries. Specific criteria will be introduced, valid for a year for evaluation. Our aim is to support our colleges while enforcing strict provisions to manage immigration effectively, a significant challenge we have successfully addressed, as evidenced by our current results.

Additionally, we will discuss modifications to our higher education strategy, which was also discussed in yesterday’s special meeting, to be announced in September. This strategy is a collaborative effort involving the Ministries of Education, Interior, Labor, Foreign Affairs, and Finance.