Općinski stanovi na području Grada Sarajeva (Municipal flats in the City of Sarajevo)

The report “Općinski stanovi na području Grada Sarajeva” is a collaborative research product of the HOLICOB project, a regional initiative examining housing and living conditions in Bosnia‑and‑Herzegovina. Produced by the organisation HOLICOB, the study draws on extensive data collection, including municipal records, legal analyses, and field interviews, to assess the current state and potential of municipal flats in Sarajevo. It aims to inform policy makers, urban planners and civil‑society actors about the under‑utilised stock of public housing and its relevance for sustainable urban development.

The analysis concentrates on four Sarajevo municipalities – Stari Grad, Centar, Novo Sarajevo and Novi Grad – evaluating the quantity, legal status and management of municipal apartments within these districts. It maps the historical evolution of the housing stock from socialist‑era allocations, through post‑war restitution and the 1997 sale law, to the present day, highlighting a dramatic contraction of publicly owned dwellings.

• In 1998 the combined municipal housing fund comprised roughly 23 times more units than today.
• Stari Grad currently holds 46 apartments out of an original 2 270, with 2 165 sold or redeemed previously.
• Novo Sarajevo once managed 1 533 units; after the sale of 963 apartments only 49 conditional units remain.
• Novi Grad reports 73 apartments, of which 40 are rented to socially vulnerable households; the remainder require renovation.
• Centar lacks reliable inventory data, but historical estimates suggest an original stock of over 3 000 units, many of which have been sold or transferred without transparent records.

The decline is largely attributed to the 1997 occupancy‑rights sale law, which mandated the privatisation of publicly owned flats to occupants or their heirs. Subsequent amendments (2001, 2003) further facilitated sales, while inheritance legislation transferred ownerless properties to municipal control. The study notes inconsistent implementation of restitution laws and a lack of comprehensive registries, especially in Centar, impeding effective management.

Municipal flats are predominantly allocated through low‑rent leases (ranging from 0.40 KM/m² in Stari Grad to 3.50 KM/m² in Novi Grad) to socially vulnerable groups, including refugees, Roma families and low‑income households. Specific programmes, such as temporary accommodation for displaced persons and socially‑protected housing projects with partners like Hilfswerk Austria, illustrate targeted interventions, yet the overall reach remains limited relative to demand.

The authors identify several avenues to enhance sustainability:

• Re‑activating unused or conditional units for long‑term, affordable leases, potentially coupled with tenant‑led renovation schemes to improve energy efficiency.
• Developing transparent public call procedures to ensure equitable allocation and prevent opaque sales.
• Integrating municipal flats into broader urban regeneration plans, aligning with EU‑style social housing models that combine affordability with environmental standards.

1. Create a unified, publicly accessible register of all municipal housing assets across Sarajevo’s municipalities.
2. Standardise lease terms and rent levels to avoid disparities and promote social cohesion.
3. Allocate dedicated funding for the refurbishment of non‑conditional units, prioritising energy‑saving upgrades.
4. Strengthen inter‑municipal coordination to share best practices and pool resources for larger‑scale sustainable housing projects.

For audiences interested in sustainable housing, the Sarajevo case illustrates the challenges of post‑conflict housing stock management and the potential of repurposing existing public assets to meet affordable‑housing goals. The study’s data-driven approach, combined with concrete policy proposals, offers a template for other cities confronting similar declines in municipal housing and seeking environmentally responsible, socially inclusive solutions.