Year and Location: May - July 2004, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia. Client: Stability Pact

Urban Solutions, together with PRC Bouwcentrum International and DIGH was assigned to carry out a number of fact finding missions to the Balkan countries to assess the need for establishing a regional training programme for housing policies and urban development. It was concluded that capacity building is needed urgently to deal with the following three problems: * Illegal construction; * Absence of social housing; * Poor management and maintenance of the former, socially owned, but now privatised housing stock.

Based on this needs assessment the Stability Pact is now undertaking steps to start implementing the capacity building programme for the Balkan countries.