Applications for post-earthquake housing reconstruction in the Banovina region may be submitted as of next week and the government is considering building a standardised settlement in Petrinja, primarily for young families, which would be financed with EU funds, Vecernji List daily reported on Tuesday.

Under amendments to the law on the reconstruction of buildings in the City of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje and Zagreb counties damaged in the March 2020 tremor, the State Housing Office will be in charge of the reconstruction of family houses in the areas where a state of disaster was declared after the 29 December quake, the newspaper said.

“At the moment we can’t say exactly how many houses will be removed and built given that structural engineers are still on the ground and aftershocks are causing additional damage. According to the latest data, about 2,600 houses in that area have been given the red label, which means they are unusable for further living, while a large number of family houses has been given the orange label, which means they are temporarily unusable and need a detailed inspection,” State Housing Office state secretary Nikola Mazar said, reported Vecernji List.

He said work was under way to expedite and shorten the process of obtaining the necessary documents and that the first applications could be submitted as of next week, following the adoption of said amendments.

The paper said both classic and prefabricated building would be used for the reconstruction, or the construction of wooden houses. Building a classic house costs about €1,000 per square metre.

Depending on the number of family members, homeowners will be offered houses of 55, 70 or 85 m2 or a family house with a number of housing units, Vecernji List added.