Nicosia district awaits €2m fund as hundreds of dangerous buildings remain

The Nicosia district government is awaiting access to a €2 million fund which was approved to help deal with dangerous buildings, with the matter of dangerous buildings having become a point of focus in recent months following collapses elsewhere on the island. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, district governor Constantinos Yiorkadjis said the organisation was waiting for instructions from the interior ministry as to how the money can be accessed. The funding was originally approved for Nicosia municipality, but was transferred to the district government after the local government reform of 2024, when responsibility for dangerous buildings moved to their auspices. Nicosia mayor Charalambos Prountzos said the ministry had assured the municipality that the funding would remain available for the district. The latest district government register identifies 656 dangerous buildings across Nicosia district, while a further 55 buildings have been classified as requiring repairs. Of the buildings considered dangerous, 171 are located within the capital’s municipal boundaries, where another 28 buildings require repairs. The municipality and the district government have already begun carrying out joint inspections. Prountzos said cooperation between the two authorities had made it easier to assess properties, with the municipality already having its own records covering some buildings. The two authorities have separate responsibilities under the current system, for the municipality deals with nuisance complaints, while the district government is responsible for the identification of dangerous buildings. Prountzos said this division can create practical problems in the case when a building is both dangerous and causing a nuisance, as municipal employees may be unable to intervene safely. Owners of buildings classified as dangerous or requiring repairs have already been sent letters instructing them to take corrective measures. The district government will decide whether further action is necessary depending on how owners respond. The issue has come under greater scrutiny following the collapse of a building in the Limassol suburb of Yermasoyia earlier this year, which killed two people. Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou has affirmed changes to the law governing dangerous buildings is an “immediate priority”. Ioannou himself has proposed creating a national register of dangerous buildings, with properties classified according to the level of risk they pose. He has stressed that a building being classified as dangerous does not automatically mean it must be demolished, with many properties potentially capable of being repaired. The scientific and technical chamber (Etek) has separately proposed a digital register to record dangerous buildings, classify their condition and improve communication between authorities and property owners.