Fiks Fare program made an observation at the “Lugina” neighborhood in Shijak, south of the capital, where dozens of residential buildings have been built for the victims of the earthquake of November 26, 2019.
Many families moved into the new apartments in 2023, while the total cost of the buildings was over 30 million euros. The constructions have been completed, but the residents have complained to the newsroom of the investigative show about the lack of conditions.
The elevators have not yet been put into operation. Sick old people, pregnant women and minors climb to the upper floors by the stairs. Another problem is the basements that have started to fill up with water or sewage. The construction companies also left without working on green areas, as the residents have rolled up their sleeves and are maintaining them themselves.
Fiks Fare reporters went to dozens of apartments and found that the elevators were installed, but not functional. “We put some of them to work ourselves. We contributed and paid the owners of the construction companies. Payments everywhere”, affirm the residents. According to them, the elevators have been installed on those entrances that have paid for, but not on the others!
After this finding, the journalists go to the basements and garages of the underground floors. Fiks Fare’s camera found that most were filled with water. In some of them there was sewage and heavy smells.
Fiks Fare went to the Municipality of Shijak, talking with vice-president Shpresa Domi, who claims that the reconstruction was done by the Albanian Development Fund, as she adds that the Municipality of Shijak is among the first to be at the end of the reconstruction process. She further asserts that some problems have appeared, which have been forwarded to the ADF, while others are trying to solve them themselves.
According to her, the problem is the elevators, since they were installed but not activated, as the company did not want to damage them. This is because residents use them to transport household furniture. She also adds that there are some problems in the basements and that they will solve them.
The documents show that in the years 2020 and 2021, 5 procedures were carried out for the construction of buildings for the victims of the earthquake, worth 2.7 billion ALL. Tenders have been also made for the construction of the road and infrastructure network worth 200 million ALL.
Central and local politicians declared that a significant part of this area would be parks, green spaces and service facilities. But, as Fiks Fare found out, the green spaces are being maintained by the residents themselves!
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