Budapest Mayor’s Office: City to get HUF 300 billion in EU funding

The city will get 178 billion forints for transport developments, 50 billion for public space developments, 34 billion for equality developments and 38 billion forints for flood protection and water management, the office said in a statement.

Some of the developments to be funded from the monies are already under way, they added.

The funds will be allocated towards the Home in Budapest Strategy aimed at turning the capital into “a green, open city of opportunities”, the office said.

They said key steps could be taken over the coming years to prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change. The funds will also be used to “ease the housing crisis” and implement significant social developments.

They said the condition for receiving the funds had been that Hungary would have access to them, adding that they were “a recognition of the preparatory work carried out by the city council”.

The statement cited Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony as saying in Brussels that the reason why the funding had been approved was that the city’s urban development goals coincided with those of the European Union.

“We are building a sustainable, green city that exercises solidarity,” Karacsony said, announcing the development package.