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2 clusters · 15 sources · 16 days · First seen 28 days ago · Last updated 12 days ago

Greek housing regulation and urban security measures

Overview

The housing situation in Greece has come under scrutiny from both political opposition and government authorities. Gabriel Sakellaridis, leader of the New Left, has called for urgent government intervention to address a crisis in major urban centers. His proposed measures include stricter regulations on short-term rentals, the abolition of the Golden Visa program, and the implementation of rent caps.

In response to specific housing issues in central Athens, Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis announced measures to combat overcrowded, informal hostels in neighborhoods such as Patisia and Agios Panteleimonas. These unregulated lodgings involve property owners renting apartments to migrants who then sublet them at low nightly rates, often resulting in extreme overcrowding. Chrysochoidis has emphasized that these measures aim to stop practices where single apartments are exploited to house as many as 30 people simultaneously for daily fees ranging from 10 to 30 euros.

To further address urban security, the Minister announced an increased police presence in key squares to curb drug trafficking and petty crime. Additionally, new legislation is being prepared to classify telephone and electronic scams as serious felonies.

Building on these efforts, the Ministry of Citizen Protection is drafting new legislation specifically targeting the proliferation of illegal “dormitories” in central Athens. Following resident complaints, the proposed law aims to penalize exploitative landlords rather than the migrants, who are viewed as victims. In these setups, owners reportedly charge between 20 and 30 euros per night or roughly 200 euros per month per person. Proposed sanctions include heavy administrative fines of up to 10,000 euros and potential criminal liability to address public health concerns and tax evasion.

Entities

Patras · New Left · MERA25 · Greece · Hellenic Police

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 13 SOURCES] A new legislative provision will be introduced to ban the leasing and subleasing of apartments used for mass housing of migrants.
[● 12 SOURCES] In areas like Patisia and Agios Panteleimonas, migrants are reportedly paying 10 to 30 euros per night to sleep in overcrowded apartments containing up to 30 people.
[● 5 SOURCES] New legislation is being prepared to increase penalties for phone fraud, particularly when targeting the elderly or minors.
[● 4 SOURCES] Migrants involved in criminal activities will face deportation, even if they are not in pre-trial detention or are under restrictive conditions.
[● 3 SOURCES] Police presence has been increased in central Athens squares, including Victoria, Amerikis, and Agios Panteleimonas, to combat petty crime.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The political party MeRA25 criticized the Minister's statements as xenophobic and authoritarian, accusing him of targeting the most vulnerable.

Timeline

12 days ago

[POLITICS] 15 sources
Athens crime crackdown: New housing bans and deportation measures announced
Greek Minister Michalis Chrysochoïdis announced new measures to ban illegal migrant subletting in Athens, increase police presence in central squares, and toughen penalties for phone fraud.
28 days ago

[POLITICS] 2 sources
Gabriel Sakellaridis calls for action on Greek housing crisis
New Left leader Gabriel Sakellaridis calls for government action on Greece's housing crisis, proposing rent caps, the abolition of Golden Visas, and stricter short-term rental regulations.

Sources

agronewsbomb.gr · alfavita.gr · athina984.gr · bloko.gr · businessdaily.gr · dimokratia.gr · efsyn.gr · fortunegreece.com · koutipandoras.gr · lifo.gr · lykavitos.gr · parapolitika.gr · patrapress.gr · Reporter.gr · thenewspaper.gr

This summary has been updated 5 times: see revision history