Following a US$32m investment by Gabriel, a resettlement site in the Recea district was inaugurated in May 2009. The resettlement option at Recea was largely driven by people's desire to live in a modern neighbourhood in the most developed town near the county capital, Alba Iulia.
Responsibility for Resettlement and Relocation
The consultation and social impact assessment studies for resettlement began in 2000. The implementation of a property purchase program, designed to comply with World Bank standards on the "willing buyer/willing seller" model, began in 2002 and continued until February 2008, when it was placed on hold. Initiation of the program required homeowners to register their property with the appropriate authorities, never done before. To date, 98% of homeowners in the community have had their properties surveyed and ownership registered with the assistance of Gabriel.
Recea is the first resettlement site built for local families affected by the Project. It is also one of the first real estate projects in Romania to encompass the development of comprehensive infrastructure prior to the construction of actual housing - with water, gas, electricity and sewage facilities developed entirely underground to meet EU standards. During site construction, individual visits and consultations with the families were ongoing. These regular visits allowed for the modifications in house designs on the families' preferences.
The Recea site consists of 125 houses covering a 24 hectare area and including over 13km of roads. The entire infrastructure was donated to Alba Iulia Municipality. There were 12 construction companies involved in the building process, of which nine were based in Alba Iulia and three came from neighbouring counties. In all, 1,670 people worked at the Recea site and there is land available for expansion for up to 80 additional houses.
Ongoing Responsibility to the Community
Gabriel has adopted a comprehensive Resettlement and Relocation Action Plan ("RRAP") and through RMGC follows a systematic approach to resettlement and relocation, with particular attention paid to people who will not be displaced by the new Project. To view a copy of the RRAP, please click on the following links:
Resettlement and Relocation Action Plan (RRAP)
Annex to the RRAP
From the onset of the RRAP implementation, RMGC has assisted the affected community throughout the relocation process by offering legal assistance, disposal and moving assistance, relocation assistance and a lifestyle restoration program (training and school grants). Support and contact programs were established in 2007 with specialized staff (social workers, social assistants, occupational advisor and sociologist) under the oversight of the Community Relations Department in RMGC. These provide assistance based on the specific needs of households during the relocation or resettlement process.