Debrecen4U October 27, 2025

Debrecen may expand grant program for renovating locally protected buildings

Last spring, the Debrecen General Assembly decided to launch the Built Heritage Renovation Program, the aim of which is to renovate Debrecen’s built heritage in order to ensure that the locally and individually protected buildings and building parts regain their previously worthy place in the cityscape.

According to the decision, the local government support is a maximum of 50 percent of the eligible cost, but it may not exceed HUF 200 million/building or building part; the remaining amount is provided by the applicant. The funds can be used for replacing doors and windows, as well as renovating facades and roofing.

In the first tender, the apartment building at 10-12 Szent Anna Street and the Svetits apartment building won a grant of HUF 200 million each.

According to last year’s decision, the owners of locally unique protected values ​​operating as apartment buildings or housing cooperatives, as per Annex 1 of the Settlement Image Decree, may submit a tender in the Built Heritage Renovation Programme for the renovation of locally unique protected buildings and parts of buildings.

However, this may now change. In his proposal to the city council, the chief architect of the city, István Gábor, proposes to delete the text ‘operating as a condominium or housing cooperative’ from the conditions so that “there is an opportunity for the Built Heritage Renovation Program to provide support to the buildings under local individual protection that are not operating as condominiums or housing cooperatives.“

The proposal also proposes that the building at 16 Ajtó Street be placed under local individual protection. In Debrecen, 330 properties are already under local individual protection.

The city council will decide on the proposal on Thursday.

Source and photo credit:dehir.hu