Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Programme beneficiaries?
Under Article 3 of Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/07.03.2023, the Programme benefits people aged 25 to 39 who are included in the beneficiary units under Article 2 of Joint Ministerial Decision D13/oik.53923/23.7.2021 (Government Gazette B’ 3359), meaning Minimum Guaranteed Income households, and who apply to the KALYPSI Programme on behalf of their household. A household is all the members living under the same roof under the KALYPSI Programme.
What are the beneficiary eligibility criteria?
A. The beneficiary (and all adult household members) must:
• Be included in the Minimum Guaranteed Income beneficiary units in
the month Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/07.03.2023 was issued (March 2023).
• Retain this status on the date they join the Programme.
B. The beneficiary must:
• Have reached age 25 and not have reached age 40 by the last day of the month
in which the above Joint Ministerial Decision was issued (31 March 2023).
Age eligibility is determined using the exact date of birth.
What date is considered the date on which beneficiaries join the Programme?
The date on which the decision approving the household’s inclusion in the Programme is issued.
If two or more households receive the same score and meet the same cumulative criteria in the scoring table, which household has priority?
In the event of a tie between applicants, a draw will be held.
The household selected in the draw will rank ahead of the household not selected.
When do costs become eligible?
Costs are eligible from the date the Programme Agreement is signed.
Which costs are included in the coverage of utility-account transfer expenses (Article 6(1)(D) of Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/07.03.2023)?
The costs of all actions required to enter into utility service contracts in the beneficiary tenant’s name, which are borne by the tenant and not the landlord.
In whose name should invoices for household belongings transport costs covered by KALYPSI be issued?
In the name of the organisation responsible for implementing the Programme’s financial scope under the Programme Agreement.
Which costs are eligible under the ‘Management Costs’ provided for in Article 6(1)(E) of Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/07.03.2023?
Eligible costs are those borne by the implementing organisation for delivering the Programme’s physical and financial scope, as described in the Programme framework and the relevant Programme Agreement. Examples include consumables, third-party service fees and travel expenses.
Is the 3% management cost calculated on the initial budget or the final amount absorbed by the Programme?
Management costs under Article 6(1)(E) of Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/07.03.2023 may be up to 3% of the Category A and B costs set out in the Programme Agreement and depend on the number of beneficiary households. They are therefore calculated on the final amount absorbed, up to the amount stated in the Programme Agreement.
Can staff under Article 6(1)(A) be hired under an employment contract or a contract for services?
Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/07.03.2023 does not impose a restriction.
Is the cost of an engineer’s certificate confirming repairs eligible, and if so, under which cost category?
The cost of a certificate issued by a private engineer is eligible and falls under the repair costs in Article 6(1)(B) of Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/07.03.2023.
Are eligible costs calculated per unit or per beneficiary?
Eligible costs are calculated per beneficiary household. Each beneficiary household is matched to one home.
Is VAT an eligible cost?
Yes.
Can a repeat call for beneficiaries be issued if the number of applicants is lower than the number of available homes?
Yes.
Can leasing proceed for homes selected by beneficiaries in the first call, while the remaining homes are leased in a second phase if a new call is issued?
Yes. Leasing continues as usual for beneficiaries found eligible under the first call, while a new call may be in progress at the same time.
Which organisations must obtain a Judicial Solvency Certificate?
Private legal entities (for example, development or public-benefit companies) participating as partners in the Programme.
If several municipalities are partners, how many statutory declarations are required?
See Article 5 of the Programme Agreement.
What happens if the Managing Organisation does not use all the funds paid to it?
If the amount paid exceeds eligible Programme costs, or if the Programme Agreement provides grounds for recovery, the organisation must return the amount to OPEKA as an undue payment, in accordance with applicable law.
How should the parties to the lease agreement be entered in Taxis?
Under Article 5(e), fifth paragraph, of Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/7-3-2023, the electronic lease is signed by the property owner and the beneficiary, with the Municipality or its legal entity guaranteeing payment of the rent, and is valid for three years. In all other respects, the Civil Code provisions governing the contractual relationship between landlords and tenants apply. Accordingly, the owner is the landlord and the beneficiary is the tenant. The Municipality or development/public-benefit company is named in the lease as guarantor, with the guarantee covering rent and repair costs as provided in Article 6 of the Joint Ministerial Decision and the relevant Programme Agreement (Decision Ref. …).
Article 4(1) of the Programme Agreement specifies the number of homes that may be leased. It also allows one full-time employee for every 20 apartments in the Programme. Should staff be hired as required by the Programme Agreement, or should hiring depend on progress and the actual number of interested property owners, which may be lower than the number of homes agreed?
The staff budget in the Programme Agreement is an indicative maximum. The actual eligible budget is based on one employee per 20 apartments. Thus, whether one apartment or 20 are leased, one employee may be funded. If up to 20 apartments are leased, a second employee is not eligible even if one could potentially be provided for in the Programme Agreement.
Do household belongings transport costs cover moving to the KALYPSI home, moving from it, or both?
The household belongings transport cost is part of the household moving expenses under Article 6(1)(D) of Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/7.3.2023 and covers transport of belongings to the home.
Can the partner organisation pay rent to the landlord as a security deposit?
No. Rent payments as a security deposit are not eligible.
Will the 9.6% rent adjustment (based on the CPI), compared with rent under ESTIA, remain fixed for all three years of the KALYPSI leases?
Yes.
Are provisional results or an objection period provided before household and property inclusion decisions are issued?
No. Joint Ministerial Decision No. 24777/7.3.2023 does not provide for provisional results or an objections process.
What happens if property owners withdraw their offer after their homes have been included in a property inclusion decision issued by the legal representative of the partner organisation?
What happens if a beneficiary withdraws from the Programme before a home is leased or after a lease is signed, despite being included in a household inclusion decision issued by the legal representative of the partner organisation?
If, after an inclusion decision is issued, a beneficiary included in it no longer wishes to participate, they submit a statutory declaration, which is kept in the project file. An amended inclusion decision is then issued. Each amended decision is notified to OPEKA’s Managing Authority.
How often should an amended household inclusion decision be issued?
The partner organisation may decide whether to issue an amended decision whenever the list of included households changes. If changes are collected together, one amended decision may be issued each month, provided it states the date each beneficiary’s status changed. This is the date of the beneficiary’s statutory declaration expressing their wish to leave the KALYPSI housing assistance programme.
Can a KALYPSI housing assistance beneficiary also receive the Housing Benefit?
What are the time limits for the three-year employment period of staff hired under KALYPSI?
Article 6(1) of the Joint Ministerial Decision makes costs eligible during the programme’s three-year implementation period but does not specify its start and end dates. It clearly states, however, that staff employment must relate to the implementation period. Accordingly, under Article 6(1)(C), staff must be employed for three years from the date the relevant contract is signed and, in any event, no later than the deadline for submitting the completion file for the Programme Agreement. Administrative or management needs arising after the three years and before that file is submitted may be covered by the Management Costs under Article 6(1)(E).
