Life in Tirana has become a daily nightmare for its residents, who face a paralyzing combination of chaotic traffic and unaffordable living costs. According to opposition municipal councilor Iir Alimehmeti, it takes 70 to 100 years of work for a family with two average salaries to buy an apartment, while he accuses that behind this situation lies a strategy to drive residents away from the capital.
The deepest problem in the capital, according to him, remains the stratospheric cost of housing. While prices in some areas have reached levels of 5,000-6,000 euros per square meter, calculations show a shocking reality.
He rejected the idea that the skyrocketing prices are due to tourism. According to him, the real cause is informal money being laundered in the real estate market.
“These prices have been driven up by informal money entering the real estate market in Albania,” he declared, suggesting that this is a phenomenon that distorts the market and makes it inaccessible to ordinary citizens.
Alimehmeti outlined what he considers a strategy aimed at transforming Tirana’s demographics. According to him, this situation aims to drive people away and empty the country of normal residents, turning the capital into a temporary stopover before emigration.
He harshly criticized the Municipal Council, saying that the socialist majority acts like a “notary” that only seals the decisions coming from the government, without considering the concerns of citizens and without allowing any discussion of the opposition’s proposals. The new buildings, according to him, are “unlivable” and “untouchable” by the population, serving only as a postcard for foreigners.
“There are two aspects that are happening in Tirana. First, they are trying to move people away from, let’s say, central, desirable areas, that few people have set their eyes on. So that they have the opportunity to speculate. So, a person who has a salary, even an average or good salary, finds it very difficult to discuss living in these places, because buying a square meter for 5,000-6,000 euros, as some areas have gone, is impossible. We are very clear about that.
Economic experts have calculated that for a family with two average salaries, to buy a house not in the center, not in the coveted areas, but relatively far away, somewhere around the Great Ring Road, it would take 70 to 100 years of work. Now, which bank will give you a loan for 70 to 100 years?
So, this is done on purpose for two reasons. One, to remove people, to empty the place of normal residents of the areas. And second, and for those who come from the districts to Tirana. Now they can see Tirana only temporarily, before they move out completely. When they realize that they find life here unbearable. Because when you come from another city, you still don’t know. You still live with what they told you and what you think and what you saw in photos and videos. But, you can take photos of those buildings, those multi-story buildings in a row and, you can take photos, you can make videos, they may look beautiful, but they are unlivable, they are not accessible to the population.
They are simply for someone to see, a foreigner takes a picture for a postcard and takes it with him. And it is not too much for tourism, let us not forget that tourism has increased these prices. But tourism has not increased the prices. These prices have been increased by the informal money that enters the real estate market in Albania”, he said.