The International Community in Mostar would like to announce the opening of a “DOUBLE OCCUPANCY PHONELINE”.
The PHONELINE is an initiative to assist the authorities in addressing cases of double occupancy. It is known that many individuals continue to illegally occupy or rent out other people’s property, while they already have their own property to go to.
In some cases people have not returned to their reconstructed houses, which continue to remain empty. In other cases people use two or more houses or apartments at the same time. When families split up, and part of the family use their own house while another part of the family is occupying the property of someone else, this is also considered as double occupancy.
In all these situations, illegal occupants who already have somewhere inhabitable to live are blocking others from returning to their pre-war homes.
If you are aware of any cases like these, either concerning your own property or someone else’s, we would like to have the information.
The Municipal Housing Offices in Mostar and elsewhere in the Southern Region of BiH have begun the process of resolving double occupancy, which remains a major block to the return of people to their pre-war homes. However, the process needs to be drastically speeded up. Information from the public is vital to the process.
Callers to the PHONELINE can remain anonymous if they wish, and information received will not be made public. We need as many details as possible about the property concerned, and in particular information about the illegal occupant of that property. If you are the claimant of the property in question, you will be asked to provide supporting documentation if possible.
Cases will be passed by OHR to the relevant Municipal Housing Offices. The Municipal Housing Offices themselves will then verify the cases and take appropriate action. It is the responsibility of the authorities to process all such cases in accordance with existing property legislation.
The Double Occupancy Phoneline initiative is fully supported by OHR, UNHCR, OSCE and UNMiBH.
The number to call is 328 900. The line will be open from 10.00-12.00 and 14.00-16.00 hrs Monday to Friday.