The government of Albania will allow municipalities to use apartments seized due to criminal activity for social housing.
Municipalities can identify seized real estate in their territory which they deem suitable for housing, and ask the central government either to use it or to own it, according to a decision published on Wednesday on the Official Gazette.
Once the procedures are complete, municipalities are allowed to use the seized properties for social housing only, renting out to those in need at low prices.
In January, the government launched Operation Force of Law (OFL), an annual operation aimed at seizing property from suspects for criminal activity. The OFL asks suspected criminals to justify their property. It reports suspect cases to the prosecution, which upon investigation asks the court to seize properties purchased through criminal activity. Ownership of seized properties is transferred to the central government.
Nearly one year since the launch of the OFL and one month away from its end, the government has published no report on the results of the operation.
