The Velje Brdo housing project in Podgorica is being developed as a market-driven construction project and does not address the real needs of those most affected by housing insecurity, according to Dragan Živković, president of the Montenegrin Tenants Association.
Živković expressed serious concern that the project fails to meet basic social housing standards and does not serve vulnerable groups such as tenants, young people, single parents, low-income families, and socially disadvantaged citizens. Instead of establishing a fair housing policy, Velje Brdo operates without clear criteria for apartment allocation, lacks rental options, social selection, and meaningful involvement of affected citizens and organizations.
Key issues highlighted include the absence of social criteria for apartment allocation, allowing anyone with creditworthiness to buy regardless of need; no option for long-term renting, excluding those unable or unwilling to take loans; and no controls on resale or subletting, increasing the risk of apartments ending up with landlords or speculators rather than intended beneficiaries.
The project also lacks adequate supporting infrastructure such as schools, kindergartens, healthcare facilities, public transport, and utilities, leading to isolated housing complexes rather than sustainable communities.
The Tenants Association, representing thousands of people living in insecure and poor conditions, was not included in any planning, decision-making, or oversight phase.
Živković warns that this approach is a major failure of state policy, missing the chance to establish a social housing system like those in European cities such as Vienna, Amsterdam, or Copenhagen, which protect basic human rights and promote social cohesion.
The Association demands urgent adoption of a Social and Housing Support Law, clear social criteria for apartment allocation, subsidized rental models as an alternative to purchase, retention of some apartments under state or local ownership for vulnerable groups, and active involvement of citizens’ organizations and tenants in all project phases.
He emphasized that housing is a fundamental human right, not a commodity, and called for building systems and communities—not just buildings—to ensure tenants the right to a home, not just the right to wait.
