Building licenses issued for illegal houses burnt in Mati

The Greek state is expected to issue an estimated 550 licenses for the construction of homes to replace those that burnt down during the devastating fires that engulfed the coastal resort of Mati in eastern Attica last summer.

The licenses will be issued regardless of whether the previous houses had been built illegally.

Moreover, some 3,500 licenses for repair work on damaged homes will also be issued, again, whether they were built with or without a valid construction permit.

Apart from the building licenses, the government is also reportedly planning to hand out new “social” subsidies to owners of burnt properties, including illegal ones – even those built on dry riverbeds.

The new legislation regarding Mati was announced in the Government Gazette on Friday.

Critics have slammed the government for taking a populist approach rather than cracking down on illegal constructions which experts say were among the reasons the fire last July spread so fast.