The Rucaj family in Vlora is facing eviction from the home where they have lived for nearly 30 years, in a case that highlights the deep contradictions of Albania’s property and housing market.
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| A 30-year residency ends in an eviction threat as the Rucaj family fights municipal orders in Vlora, exposing a housing crisis where thousands of apartments sit empty while ordinary citizens struggle to secure a home. Read the full story on OculusNewsALB! |
Now, the Municipality of Vlora is demanding that the family leave, arguing that the building is state property. Officials offered a one-year rent bonus, but Dajana says she wants a permanent housing solution. The case is now before the courts.
The controversy comes as Albania is estimated to have more than 30,000 unsold apartments, while property prices continue to make home ownership increasingly difficult for ordinary Albanian families.
The contrast is striking: thousands of homes remain on the market, yet a family that has lived in the same place for three decades says it is being left with nowhere to go.
Albania is also experiencing major demographic changes. As many Albanians continue to emigrate, increasing numbers of workers from Asia and other countries are arriving to fill labor shortages.
The issue is not whether foreigners should be welcomed. The deeper question is whether Albanian citizens are being priced out of their own housing market while the country continues to build and accumulate empty properties.
The Rucaj case in Vlora is therefore more than a dispute over one building. It raises a fundamental question about Albania’s development: what does economic growth mean if ordinary Albanian families cannot secure a home?