Tuesday morning's rain once again penetrated building No. 8 on "Llambi Bonata" street in Kombinat, damaged by the 2019 earthquake. This building has not breathed for five years, awaiting a decision on what will be done with it.
It was August 2019 when Isida Rrapi completed the procedures for obtaining a loan to purchase an apartment on the fifth floor of building No. 8. But the joy of having a home for her small family did not last long.
On November 26, 2019, the earthquake, which also affected the Kombinat, left its mark on the Isida Palace. The Municipality of Tirana declared a state of emergency and began assessing the damage.
“Our palace was initially classified as DS4, with a second assessment needed to determine whether it would be reconstructed or demolished,” Isida tells Citizens.
According to the December 2019 report, the 5-story building had damage to the finishes, such as plaster or windows, but not to the structure.
"There is no damage to the structure, all joints are in order. Measures should be taken to repair the refinishing," it was stated in the document of the Institute of Construction.
However, even five years after the earthquake, a final decision has not yet been made on the building. In the meantime, the residents have been relocated to rented apartments, with only 18,000 lek per month in support from the municipality.
"There are 15 families that benefit from the rental bonus, but the rental market has high prices and the owners increase the prices due to the lack of housing in the area," explains Isida, who currently lives in another building in the same neighborhood.
State institutions recently remembered the "No. 8" building, but not to decide its fate, but only to place a security tape to stop traffic.
"Until the implementation of the new construction project, a tape fence should be installed so that the existing building is not frequented by residents or casual passersby, taking into account the risk of materials falling from above," it is said in one request of the Civil Protection Directorate to the Municipal Police.
Isida and other residents have sought answers from local institutions, but have encountered bureaucracy and a lack of transparency.
"We have addressed Administrative Unit No. 6, they have sent us to the State of Emergencies, which says it cannot make a decision without the approval of the Municipal Council. In the end, the institutions shift responsibility to each other and we are left waiting," she says.
In this uncertainty and lack of information, Isida and her family, now expanded to four members, are uncertain about the future of their home.
"Promises were made in election campaigns, but so far nothing has changed. Some residents are unhappy because their houses have collapsed and they have been relocated to more remote areas with smaller spaces," she points out.
Rama: Delays due to courts and political factors
On Monday, Prime Minister Edi Rama inspected the works in the new apartment block in what was introduced four years ago as "KombinArt".
According to the acting mayor of Tirana, Anuela Ristani, after the arrest of Erion Veliaj, about 700 apartments have been completed so far, of which 141 have been distributed, while another 500 are expected to be delivered within March.
Minister Blendi Gonxhja blamed for the delays "small particles", a rhetoric that Prime Minister Rama reinforced.
“Don't worry, you'll get the house,” he addressed a resident. "The delays have been due to court processes and obstacles from political factors."
If the procedures had been followed according to plan, according to the Prime Minister, the investment would have been completed long ago.
During 2020-2021, the Municipality of Tirana decided to demolish 67 buildings in Kombinat. But the demolition procedures were accompanied by irregularities, artificially increasing the level of damage to some buildings.
Of the buildings scheduled for demolition, only 35 were demolished, while the others were involved in lawsuits initiated by residents. So far, the Res Publica Center, which has represented the residents, has won 19 cases in the Administrative Court against the Municipality of Tirana.
Among the acquired cases, the buildings are included 12-13 on the street "Bernardin Palaj", buildings 1 and 21, the palaces 141 and 153 (collapsed), building 97 on "Llazi Miho" street and two buildings on the road "former Glass Factory" of "Mihal Grameno"".
A year ago, the Municipality of Tirana told Citizens that more than half of those who applied to benefit from the reconstruction process were disqualified.
"Out of 1446 applications, only 670 of them are beneficiaries", said the municipality, which cited as reasons the ownership of a second home, lack of documentation, or damage from the age of the building and not from the earthquake.
The story of Isidë and hundreds of other families remains unresolved, as they await a final decision on the future of their properties.
Also Read:
- Five years after the earthquake, residents of Kombinat fight for their properties
- "The slow reconstruction of the Combine"; Half of those affected by the earthquake will not get a new home
Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
