10 minutes with Doris Andoni, General Director of National Housing Agency of Albania

 

National Housing Agency ID

• I would describe Enti Kombëtar i Banesave in 10 words as the provider of the Albanian families dream to own a house.
   
• Our key objective is to provide affordable and sustainable housing solutions for needy families.
   
• Apart from housing provision, our mission is to “build” communities out of individuals and families that get housed in our projects.
   
• We joined Housing Europe because… we want to be closer to Europe! We are in a process of reform and we want to get the best from the experiences of our sister organisations. We also believe that other organisations can benefit from our good and less good experiences. Being a member of Housing Europe will keep us up-to dated with news in policies at EU level. Last, but not least, being a member of HE will give us the possibility to have a voice in the decisions that EU will take in the future and that might affect housing.

In Albania...

• Housing is considered to be in Albania... according to our Constitution, housing is a social objective of the government; for the Albanian families, housing everything; is: a place to live; a place to grow, get old and die; a place to dream in peace! Housing is also a valuable real estate and that’s why Albanian families have invested during the last 2 decades more than 6 billion USD in housing.
   
• Our key partners in the country are local governments! They provide us the land equipped with infrastructure; they also provide us the clients through the lists of housing application. We work with local banks that provide mortgage loans to our clients. Builders and architects are also our partners that are selected through tender procedures to plan and build the houses.
   
• Our main housing policy priority at the moment is not just one actually... a) introduce energy efficient in our affordable housing projects; b) develop a new housing scheme based on self-help solution; c) enter into the business of urban regeneration;
   
• The major challenge for the country today is to... Well, Albania is facing several development challenges that affect housing, including:
  • an administrative and territorial reform that will be completed by transforming 370 local governments into 61. Local authorities will become stronger and more efficient. They will be more able to manage their own functions, including housing; 
  • legalisation of informal properties and their urbanisation
  • property registration, a process hampered by the uncertainty of land ownership
  • high vacancy rate in housing, a paradox of “housing without people and people without housing”, which is the outcome of many factors, mostly migration
  • A lack of housing maintenance and management of condominium, which is causing a serious deterioration to the housing stock.

Personal

• I start my working day with an informal meeting with my colleagues having a cup of coffee discussing on the main topics that will need special attention.
   
• After leaving the office I combine different activities; I go jogging almost every day; I take care of my plants- I have more than 100 plants in my terrace; often I have to work again; watch the news; read a book; watch a movie; listen to good music; chat with my family; once a day or two I visit my mother.
   
• Currently I am reading... "Hitler’s Last Days" by Bill O’Reilly
• ... while listening to Bach & Handel Orchestral Suites
   
• I move around... I prefer walking, however during the working hours I have to move by car for saving time.
   
• I prefer having on my table… my collection of pens on my working table; a glass of sparkling white wine on my table at home

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