Desanka Popovic (67) fled her native Knin in 1995 to seek refuge in Serbia with her husband Dragan, and three children. Before the war she worked in the textile factory Kninjanka and lived in a socially owned flat in Knin. In 1999 Desanka and Dragan returned to Croatia and were accommodated in a relative's house in nearby border village of Strmica. In 2002, unfortunately, Dragan passed away while their three children found new lives in the United States, Czech Republic and Serbia.

Regulating her pension rights and being former Occupany/Tennancy Right holder, in 2005 Desanka lodged and application to the Government's Housing Care Programme. In 2010 she was issued consent by the responsible authority and offered a flat in Knin in 2012. Desanka saw and liked the flat even thou the condition of the building wasn't overly good.

Meanwhile, another wait was upon Desanka. The restructuring of the responsible authority into today's State Office for Reconstruction and Housing Care took some time and organisational efforts. It was in recent weeks that a new wave of issuance and matching those that received consent and availably housing (under the national housing programme started with a renewed energy.

It was on 20 May 2014 that the State Office representatives, both local from Knin and those form the central office in Zagreb, with UNHCR staff that supported Desanka's claim and aided her all this time, finally handed over the keys of a 40 plus square meters in the war affected town of Knin.

The SORHC boosted their Knin team from one to three employees and the new head of the field team Iva Gazibara is tasked with screening the current availabilities (some 40 apartments in Knin) and match them with those returnees that have already been issues consent in the previous year, a task she expects to be finalised by the year's end.

Knin today is a building site with a large apartment building in Senjak resuming its works and promising to house some 80 returnee families within the national housing care programme while another nearby plot is to be the site of two new buildings under the Regional Housing Programme expected to house 40 returnee families soonest.

When dealing with human destinies and their path towards successful return and a place to call home life often provides extra twists in the story. This is also the case of the story of Desanka Popovic. When she learned that the keys handover date is set, she also learned that her relative's home in Obrenovac (Serbia) was seriously damaged in the recent flood that may prompt him to look for new housing solution for his family. Who knows, he might decide to return and live in his house in Croatia. He would surely be welcomed.

Desanka Popovic (67) fled her native Knin in 1995 to seek refuge in Serbia with her husband Dragan, and three children. Before the war she worked in the textile factory Kninjanka and lived in a socially owned flat in Knin. In 1999 Desanka and Dragan returned to Croatia and were accommodated in a relative's house in nearby border village of Strmica. In 2002, unfortunately, Dragan passed away while their three children found new lives in the United States, Czech Republic and Serbia.

Regulating her pension rights and being former Occupany/Tennancy Right holder, in 2005 Desanka lodged and application to the Government's Housing Care Programme. In 2010 she was issued consent by the responsible authority and offered a flat in Knin in 2012. Desanka saw and liked the flat even thou the condition of the building wasn't overly good.

Meanwhile, another wait was upon Desanka. The restructuring of the responsible authority into today's State Office for Reconstruction and Housing Care took some time and organisational efforts. It was in recent weeks that a new wave of issuance and matching those that received consent and availably housing (under the national housing programme started with a renewed energy.

It was on 20 May 2014 that the State Office representatives, both local from Knin and those form the central office in Zagreb, with UNHCR staff that supported Desanka's claim and aided her all this time, finally handed over the keys of a 40 plus square meters in the war affected town of Knin.

The SORHC boosted their Knin team from one to three employees and the new head of the field team Iva Gazibara is tasked with screening the current availabilities (some 40 apartments in Knin) and match them with those returnees that have already been issues consent in the previous year, a task she expects to be finalised by the year's end.

Knin today is a building site with a large apartment building in Senjak resuming its works and promising to house some 80 returnee families within the national housing care programme while another nearby plot is to be the site of two new buildings under the Regional Housing Programme expected to house 40 returnee families soonest.

When dealing with human destinies and their path towards successful return and a place to call home life often provides extra twists in the story. This is also the case of the story of Desanka Popovic. When she learned that the keys handover date is set, she also learned that her relative's home in Obrenovac (Serbia) was seriously damaged in the recent flood that may prompt him to look for new housing solution for his family. Who knows, he might decide to return and live in his house in Croatia. He would surely be welcomed.