site.btaUPDATED Sofia with Most Projects under 2nd Stage of Energy Efficiency of Multi-Family Residential Buildings Programme, Says Expert

Sofia has the most projects for financing under the second stage of the Energy Efficiency of Multi-Family Residential Buildings National Programme under the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience, where 20% co-financing from citizens is required, said Dobromir Vassilev, Director of the Housing Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, at a media event organized by Habitat Bulgaria, where up-to-date information was presented on Bulgaria's concrete steps in the energy transition to climate neutrality.

Vassilev explained that that Sofia Municipality submitted projects for a total of 65 buildings with a total grant value of BGN 22 million. Those are nearly 20% of all projects submitted under the programme. 

The expert pointed out that this shows the clear distribution of economic activity and income in the individual parts of the country. He noted that in the first stage of the programme, where the grant funding was 100%, projects from the Sofia Municipality were about 6-7% of the total.

Assya Dobrudzhalieva, project manager at Habitat Bulgaria, pointed out that the renovation of the building stock in Bulgaria happens in waves and also stressed the need for a long-term policy in this regard. She said that 65,000 buildings need renovation, and current programmes will rehabilitate around 4,000 buildings by 2026. Against the background of the 2050 goals to reach climate neutrality, the building sector, especially residential buildings, is going at a very slow pace, commented the expert. "It is clear that we cannot continue with 100% funding from the State, and the new stage with 80% funding has attracted interest," Dobrudzhalieva noted.