The former shooting range in the village of Vaqarr, municipality of Tirana, will undergo dramatic transformation as it will host one of the first new residential areas for the affected families by the powerful earthquake that hit Albania on November 26. The work to construct the new residential centre is already underway and the project is designed to provide an incredible potential for the families that were left homeless by the last months’ earthquake. The rebuilding project will also set a new example of the community life in the countryside by building clusters of new homes around a centre and development site of the respective rural area.

Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj visited the 4-ha and state-owned site where the new residential cluster is being constructed.

“It would become better for everyone. The new residential neighbourhood is being built on a state-owned land that we are making available to the quake-affected residents. It will be much better for children as school, kindergarten and nursery are within walking distance of their residence. It is also outstanding for the elderly as the health centre is also very close to the new residential area. In this way we provide an improved quality of life for the residents, whose new houses will be much better than the ones they used to have prior to the devastating earthquake. Yet, it takes a bit of efforts to explain them that if otherwise this would be a wasted opportunity. Everyone, the quake-affected families and communities should emerge better, stronger and happier,” PM Rama said.

Tirana Mayor noted that the area provides full access to health and education services for residents.

“Practically we are creating an American-style residential neighbourhood with a green space right in the middle of it, a community centre to host various events for nurseries, kindergartens, refectories or things like that. We will be able to house 35 out of 43 quake-affected in the entire administrative unit of Vaqarr. So it is about building single-family homes featuring also a veranda and a small backyard garden,” Veliaj said.

The same construction principle will apply to some other villages in Tirana, such as Baldushk, Mustafakoç, or Peza, where residents will also be housed in new homes, with their household economy close by, as well as a community center mainly for care of the elderly.