Filenews 10 December 2025 - by Charalambos Zakos
The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Minister of Interior, Constantinos Ioannou, proceeded yesterday with the announcement of a new program that is part of the wider planning of housing policy.
The Government has decided to proceed and give the tools to all individuals interested in the construction of collective housing units, where their employees will live. This decision comes after extensive consultation with the CCCI, the OEB and PASYXE.
During his statements, the Minister of the Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou, said that the goal of the new plan is to create housing solutions for the staff of the companies and based on this change they will be given the opportunity to proceed with the construction of such complexes.
The Minister of the Interior explained that the Plan allows the construction of specialized housing units, adapted to the needs and data of the specific group of employees, while ensuring decent living conditions.
As Mr. Ioannou mentioned, the Plan serves a double goal: In addition to enhancing the smooth operation of the productive sectors, the Plan for the Construction of Collective Accommodation Units will contribute to the reintegration of occupied units into the labour market, ensuring a gradual balancing of supply and demand and leading to a decompression of purchase and rental prices.
How much will the area be?
Among other things, the main parameters of the Plan include reduced area for all types of units, reduced parking spaces and smaller common areas, in relation to the conditions applicable to residential developments.
In addition, these units will also be able to be erected in commercial zones, and modifications will also be allowed to be made to existing infrastructure to be used for this purpose.
According to the data collected by "F", the minimum specifications in square meters for the construction of these units will be almost half compared to the development of other residential units.
In particular, for the purpose of safeguarding the quality of accommodation, for comfortable functionality and comforts, the order of the Minister of the Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou, which will be published – as we are informed – in the coming days will describe the minimum specifications.
More specifically, the square footage for these units is as follows:
- 1 bedroom
⦁ Bedrooms: 9 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 3 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 4 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 11 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 27 sq.m. - 2 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 16 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 3 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 4 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 11 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 34 sq.m. - 3 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 24 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 4 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 5 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 14 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 47 sq.m. - 4 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 32 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 4 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 7 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 15 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 58 sq.m. - 5 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 40 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 4 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 7 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 16 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 67 sq.m. - 6 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 48 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 5 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 9 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 17 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 79 sq.m. - 7 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 56 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 5 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 9 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 18 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 88 sq.m. - 8 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 64 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 5 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 11 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 19 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 99 sq.m. - 9 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 72 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 7 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 11 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 20 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 110 sq.m. - 10 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 80 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 7 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 11 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 21 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 119 sq.m. - 11 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 88 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 8 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 13 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 22 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 131 sq.m. - 12 bedrooms
⦁ Bedrooms: 96 sq.m.
⦁ Sanitary facilities: 8 sq.m.
⦁ Kitchen: 13 sq.m.
⦁ Living area: 23 sq.m.
⦁ Total: 140 sq.m.
Fewer parking spaces
As mentioned above, the conditions for these rooms differ from those that apply to other residential developments.
One of these differentiations also concerns parking spaces.
Specifically, one car parking space will be required for every six bedrooms or a fraction of them, as well as a parking space for a moped or bicycle for each bed.
Also, in order to promote sustainable mobility, in the Housing Units of Collective Accommodation served by a bus and/or minibus connected to the workplace, one car parking space is provided for every twelve rooms and one moped or bicycle parking space for every two beds.
Furthermore, for planning permit applications concerning Housing Units of Collective Accommodation within the shell or within the field of existing tourist accommodation, only one moped or bicycle parking space is required for every two beds.
Great interest from employers
The General Manager of OEB, Michalis Antoniou, commenting on the announcement of the new plan, expressed to "F" the satisfaction of the Federation, adding that the decisions are in the right direction.
Asked about this, he noted that there is great interest from employers in all sectors who are active in almost all sectors of the economy. As he said, from retail trade, to catering, tourism and construction, there is interest in building such units, concluding that these decisions will accelerate on the one hand the alleviation of the housing problem and on the other hand employees will be able to live in the right conditions.
