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1. Housing

2. Social services

3. Health care

4. Financial services

5. Quality assurance

Housing

Since 2023, Cyprus has a new Unified Housing Policy Framework (Νέα Ενιαία  Στεγαστική Πολιτική). This policy framework is run by the Ministry of Interior in cooperation with the Housing Finance Corporation (Οργανισμός Χρηματοδοτήσεως Στέγης) and the Cyprus Land Development Corporation (Κυπριακός Οργανισμός Αναπτύξεως Γης). The policy includes financial assistance for the purchase, construction, renovation, or rental of housing, targeting individuals, couples, families, single-parent families, persons with disabilities, low-income individuals/families, and refugees. Additionally, the policy provides financial support for the monthly rent of refugees and individuals eligible for the Guaranteed Minimum Income. Moreover, it provides support to individuals residing in mountainous communities. There is also a Land Allocation Scheme for Families based on Income Criteria.

In the Republic of Cyprus, due to the Turkish invasion, refugees from Cyprus are entitled to financial support if they meet specific economic criteria without age restrictions (Στεγαστικά Σχέδια). 

Additionally, the Cypriot Government provides financial assistance to young couples and/or individuals up to 41 years old, aiming to facilitate their access to housing (Σχέδιο Στεγαστικής Επιδότησης Νεαρών Ζευγαριών ή/και Νέων μέχρι 41 ετών). The plan is expected to come into effect in the first quarter of 2024, with a duration of two (2) years. 

Moreover, the Government provides land to families for acquiring their own homes and to develop communities located in rural, mountainous, remote, and disadvantaged areas. (Σχέδιο Διάθεσης Οικοπέδων σε Οικογένειες). Priority is given to families that meet the income criteria, and priority will be given to multi-child families,  nuclear families and single-parent family / divorced individuals with parental responsibility for minor children. 

Furthermore, financial assistance is provided upon decision of the Council of Ministers to support residents of communities with an altitude greater than or equal to 600 meters. All Cypriot and European citizens (including workers and/or employees) permanently residing in an owned or rented residence/property in communities with an altitude greater than or equal to 600 meters are entitled to financial assistance, provided they have been proven to reside in the community for at least the last two years continuously. (Στήριξη Κατοίκων ορεινών και Απομακρυσμένων Κοινοτήτων.) 

Social services

The Social Welfare Services (Υπηρεσίες Κοινωνικής Ευημερίας) of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare offer a number of State Institutions which provide social services to the whole population, including young people. More specifically, state Institutions provide shelter, protection and care to children, the elderly and the disabled as their permanent home or as a place to stay for a few hours during the day. Below the main institutions are presented:

• Nicosia Youth Hostel (boys): The Nicosia Youth Hostel operates since 1957. It accommodates boys between 13 – 21 years of age, who can not stay elsewhere due to various reasons.

• Youth Hostel for teenage girls: The Youth Hostel for teenage girls started its operation on 3.3.1998. It is the only pan Cyprian State Institution that provides care and protection to teenage girls who can not stay elsewhere due to various reasons.

• Special State Institution for teenagers: Since November 1997, the Larnaca Youth Hostel has been refurbished upgraded and converted to the Special State Institution for teenagers. It accommodates teenagers who can not live elsewhere.

• “The Children’s House”: Since January 2018, “The Children’s House” provides a range of services to children who have been victims of sexual abuse and exploitation under the one roof. The Children's House seeks to serve justice in a child-friendly manner while ensuring children’s safety, security, protection and well-being through a multidisciplinary approach.

The management and operation of “The Children’s House” is entrusted to the “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center by the Ministry of Labor, Welfare and Social Insurance, and the overall oversight of the  Children’s House is carried out by the Social Welfare Services in co-operation with competent services.

The Children's House operates with the direct and systematic cooperation of the Cyprus Police, the Social Welfare Services, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth.

Also, the same organization runs a Foster Care program, through which foster families are linked to children and/or youth which are looking for a safe family environment.

The Children’s House is funded by the Social Welfare Services of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.

Health care

Health Visitors is a service offered by the Ministry of Health (Υπουργείο Υγείας). Health visitors, among others, offer School Health Services. Currently the following Health Visitors’ Services are available in Cyprus:

• Maternity and Child Health Care clinics
• School Health Care Services
• Vaccinations and Prevention of Communicable Diseases
• Health Education
• Epidemiological Studies
• Services for parents and pregnant women

The role of the Health Visitor at school can be summarized to the following:

• To carry out various screening tests in order to detect disease at an early stage or to prevent it.
• To offer health education and health counseling to promote health and prevent illness.
• To care for the ill or injured students or co-ordinate the care given by other professionals.
• To carry out, the vaccinations according to the Cyprus Ministry of Health Vaccinations Schedule.
• To prevent and investigate communicable diseases at school.

Health education is handled by the Health visitors during their daily contacts with students or other school personnel and via applied health education programs, which aim at giving knowledge and/or promoting the adaptation of healthy behavior or even changing an unhealthy behavior. Τhere is not information about the professional development for health care mediators.

A national health mediators network does not exist in Cyprus.

Financial services

Some of the top-level policy measures regarding financial services accessible to young people in Cyprus are the following:

1. Student Grants: Different Student Grants such as  Scholarships (Φοιτητική Χορηγία) or  Allowances  (Φοιτητικά Επιδόματα) are offered on the basis of socio-economic criteria to Cypriot students or students from other EU countries who reside permanently in the Republic of Cyprus or non-EU students who have graduate from Cypriot secondary schools and have at least on parent who is from Cyprus or another EU country. The different grants include: housing allowance per month, board allowance, grant for the purchase of university books and grant for the purchase or upgrade of a computer. The grants are offered by the Ministry of Finance.

2. Family benefits: Family benefits of the Republic of Cyprus include among others Child Benefit, Single Parent Benefit and the Grant for Special Assistance to single mothers for child birth.

3. Services and Social Benefits for persons with disabilities. These include allowances schemes for people with different kind of disabilities.

4. The Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) scheme (Ελάχιστο Εγγυημένο Εισόδημα). The GMI scheme is part of the Guaranteed Minimum Income and Social Benefits Law of 2014, which has two basic aims: a) to provide better support to groups who are exposed to the risk of poverty, and b) to improve the operational efficiency of the overall system. The monetary benefits available fall into two basic categories: a monthly payment to bring the beneficiary’s income up to the level of the GMI and monthly housing benefit, either as a rent allowance or as an allowance to cover interest on housing loans. A person may submit an application to become entitled to receive the GMI if certain conditions are met. 

5. The Unemployment Benefit (Επίδομα Ανεργίας) is provided to insured employees or optionally insured persons who are employed under any Cypriot employer and are aged between 16 and 63 years old. The benefit is provided for a period of 156 dates and various requirements apply (e.g. days of insured employment, etc.).

Quality assurance

It is not available whether systems of quality assurance of these inclusive services exist in Cyprus.