«Housing Renovation»: Block on vacant properties due to platform error - Protest letter from 430 citizens

A significant issue has emerged with the "Housing Renovation" program, as the electronic platform is failing to implement the current legal framework, leading to the exclusion of eligible properties. This technical glitch has prompted a joint letter of protest from 430 citizens addressed to the relevant ministries.

The core of the problem lies in the platform's inability to process properties acquired within 2026. While a key objective of the government's policy is to reintegrate approximately 20,000 vacant apartments into the market, the platform automatically disqualifies them if they were purchased in the current year. Official data reveals that only 4,800 out of 61,000 eligibility certificates issued since the program's launch, less than 8%, pertain to vacant properties.

The technical deadlock stems from the requirement to prove a property's non-use during the 2025 tax year via the E2 form. However, when a property's ownership changed in 2026, the 2025 E2 form belongs to the previous owner. The current system lacks a mechanism to retrieve the former owner's data or obtain their electronic consent, nor does it allow the applicant to submit alternative documentation.

Instead of resolving this technical gap, authorities published a FAQ document on June 22, 2026. In response to question 4, they cited the inability to access the previous owner's E2 form and arbitrarily introduced December 31, 2025, as the acquisition deadline. This restriction was not present in the original published joint ministerial decision (ΚΥΑ). Furthermore, the technical analysis accompanying the protest highlights an inconsistency: the acquisition cutoff for 2026 is selectively applied. "Open" residences transferred in 2026 are processed normally, while "vacant" ones are automatically rejected, suggesting the December 31, 2025, cutoff is a workaround for the system's inability to cross-reference tax data.

The 430 signatories are not seeking changes to the law but its faithful application. Their letter to the Ministries of National Economy, Social Cohesion, Environment, and Digital Governance demands the immediate rectification of the platform's technical and operational errors and full compliance with the ΚΥΑ, enabling electronic consent or alternative document submission.