The Settlements and Integrated Local Development Programme SILD is a follow-up to the Settlement and Integration of Refugees Programme (SIRP), which was a successful 3-year implementation by UN-HABITAT in Serbia addressing social housing and integrated local development planning. Learning from and expanding on the experiences developed during the implementation of SIRP, which provided 670 housing solutions (including 570 new social housing units) for 3,000 refugees and vulnerable people.

SILD is a sub-regional programme, to be implemented simultaneously in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, with the aim to contribute to sustainable and inclusive cities by supporting integrated urban development with specific focus on deprived neighborhoods in line with the MDG 7 target 11 related to adequate housing and serviced settlements and through harmonization with EU standards and practices. SILD is aligned with national sustainable development strategies and social inclusion policy frameworks.

As an added value, SILD will promote regional networking and building bridges between neighbouring nations to strengthen complementarities with the main forms of assistance of the European Union. In this respect, SILD will serve as catalyst for capital investment facilities provided by EU Financial Institutions such as the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and IPA funds, among others.

The rationale for SILD design is developed as an attempt to identify an integrated approach combining social housing and integrated urban development within a social inclusion perspective. Social housing is among the major priorities of the three governments. However, in consideration of the current gap in the legal framework, there is a generally recognized need – and a timely opportunity given the current standing of the reform process - to reinforce the conceptual and methodological framework on the programming and implementation of social housing programs at the decentralized level. Social housing is taken in its broadest definition of housing solutions that are adequate and affordable for low-income and vulnerable groups.
Within such perspective, social housing is therefore addressed as a paradigm for developing a transversal, cross-cutting focus and adequate operational responses to inclusive and sustainable territorial and settlements development.

In Serbia, the Programme is to be implemented in partnership with 11 Cities/Municipalities and with the strong involvement and under the coordination of the Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit (SIPRU) of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration. It will also be implemented in partnership with concerned line ministries among which the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, former partner of SIRP, and other central institutions such as the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM).

Of the 11 Cities/Municipalities which have applied for being involved as partners of SILD in response to a call for expressions of interest issued by the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, six are new partners while five Municipalities have already participated in SIRP.

Namely they are: Bor, Cacak, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Leskovac, Nis, Novi Sad, Subotica, Uzice, Valjevo, Vranje.

In Albania, in the framework of the ongoing decentralization process that includes urban planning and housing among exclusive functions of local governments, SILD will support4 municipalities which have applied for being partners of SILD in response to a call for expressions of interest issued by the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Telecommunications (MPWTT). The Department for Housing Policies of the MPWTT will coordinate SILD in Albania.

In Bosnia & Herzegovina, based on strong interest demonstrated by central and local governments, through a process of consultations and the expressions of interest by potential candidates, SILD will support 4 municipalities selected in both Entities. All the levels of government will be involved during the implementation. The Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees will coordinate the Programme in partnership with UN-HABITAT and in consultation with the other appropriate government levels.