Buildings aging without plan for what comes next

The collapse of a building floor in Piraeus on Tuesday where work was being carried out has highlighted the plight of hundreds of thousands of aging buildings in Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki and other urban centers without a plan for the future. One of the main parameters of the problem is linked to public education and the legality of carrying out work, particularly in apartment blocks.

Thousands of smaller buildings have also had floors added. It is common for many houses built up to around 1950 as single-story houses to have a floor or floors added.

Despite the fact that the quality of construction in Greece is generally good, there is an issue of legality, transparency and individual building works, many of which are unseen.

The issue concerns the need for thousands of people, mostly of limited and medium economic means, to renovate their houses, many of...