Residents of Chisinau eager to join “European Courtyard” program
Hundreds of residents from Chisinau applied for the "European Courtyard" program, which allows them to repair their deteriorated apartment block courtyards. Those interested can request the repair of walkways, parking areas, or green spaces. The application deadline is April 25.
The “European Courtyard” program offers tenants the opportunity to request the redevelopment of their apartment building yards, provided that the problems reported fall into one of three categories established by the authorities. The first concerns infrastructure and involves the renovation of access paths from the yards and the entrances to the apartment building stairs. The second direction concerns green spaces—their redevelopment by planting trees and, where possible, creating rest areas. The third category is related to safety and includes the installation of bollards to delimit pedestrian areas, the rehabilitation of access doors, the installation of ramps for people with disabilities, and improved lighting.
Victor Burdin is one of the apartment building administrators who applied to the “European Courtyard” program. He identified three major problems in his yard, which he indicated in the application form.
"One of them is the yard that needs to be landscaped, it's in a bad state. There are old windows. And the most important thing is the access roads to the yard, because, if we look from Ceucari Street towards the block, it's a very bad road", Victor Burdin reported.
Approximately half of the 150 residents have already signed the application.
"Everything you see is from 30 years ago and with our efforts. We have never been helped by anyone. If we want the future to remain in the country, we have to do it beautifully not only in words. Let's be Europe in reality";
"For years, no asphalt has been laid here, I am an old man, almost 70 years old, I trip, I fall";
"Of course it's not nice, it's not right. I fractured my leg in a pit with stones. My leg slipped on the gravel and I fractured it", people reported.
"The courtyards in Chisinau are in a deplorable state, which is now also attested to in the meetings we have in the courtyards. There are courtyards that since '90, '93, were not repaired", declared Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Infrastructure.
Around 200 projects will be selected within the "European Courtyard" program, with a value of up to five million lei each. The winners will be announced on May 20.
