Project description:
The proper management of multi-family apartment buildings is a crucial element to improve their energy efficiency, especially in postcomunist countries. Abandoned mechanisms for maintenance and management of MFH that existed during the previous social system
and lack of new models, motivated Habitat for Humanity Macedonia to establish a residential management company, called “Habidom”.
Key targets
The main objective of the project is to improve the management of MFH and thus increase the access to finance for energy efficiency upgrades. Improving the management of multi-apartment buildings, providing better services, granting access to finances for energy efficiency upgrades and facilitating the process of joint decision among homeowners to
retrofit common spaces is the core business of Habidom.
Period
2015 – ongoing
Implementation steps
Step 1. Signing of contract for the management of multi-apartment building with homeowners/HOA;
Step 2. Conducting specific needs assessments for upgrades in the buildings with the participation of homeowners;
Step 3. Facilitation of decision making processes with homeowners (51% homeowners have to reach consent for any related activities regarding the common property);
Step 4. Technical and administrative support to homeowners to provide loans and to select vendors for reconstruction;
Step 5. Monitoring reconstruction and loans repayments.
Main participants
Habitat Macedonia: established Habidom and provides loans (finance) for homeowners and homeowner associations;
Habidom: management of MFH and direct services to homeowners, including access to finance;
Homeowners associations: participating in the decision making processes;
Homeowners: participating in the decision making processes and paying for the services provided.
Achieved results
Habidom was established in 2015, and up to date is managing 2.332 households in 100 multi family apartment buildings. This means improved management, services and access to finance for those households managed by Habidom. Two buildings have complete energy efficiency retrofitting (changing windows, doors, applying thermo-facade, roofing and upgrades of common spaces), while one building is still under work. Habidom provides homeowners with access to finance for elevators repairments and direct services to renovate stairs and common spaces. Also, electricity network and lightening of common spaces in the buildings managed by Habidom have been significantly improved, leading to lower consumption of electricity. Improved management of MFH brings many benefits to homeowners, such as newly painted common spaces, bicycle parking, installed door phones, increased security, accountability and transparency of accounts, as well as administrative and Case Study 12. Republic of North Macedonia – Improved Management to Energy Efficiency of MFH financial support for homeowner’s associations.
Further achieved results include for the two retrofitted buildings: reduction of CO2 emissions of 121,5 t/annual and reduction of energy consumption of 319.628 kWh/annual.
Total benefits
• Improved quality of living in the managed multi-apartment buildings;
• Improved energy efficiency and access to finance for energy efficiency upgrades;
• Increased accountability and transparency of the finance of the managed buildings;
• Increased capacities of homeowners associations.
List of technical measures implemented during the management of building/buildings
• energy efficiency retrofits of facade;
• replacement of windows in apartments and entrance doors;
• repairs/renovation of elevators;
• repairs/replacement of liking roofs;
• repair of the electricity grid and lightening of common spaces;
• creation of parking lots for bicycles;
• painting of common spaces;
• installation of door phones.
Author
Liljana Alceva, Habitat for Humanity Macedonia
Project links:
www.habidom.com.mk;
www.habitat.org.mk;
www.domuvanje.org.mk