Ombudswoman Maria Stylianou-Lottides has urged authorities to take immediate action to ensure that residents of the House in the Community in Kato Polemidia are not moved into institutional care, warning that any changes to their living arrangements must uphold the principles of independent living, equality and human dignity.
Urgent measures needed
In a report following an unannounced inspection of the community home, the ombudswoman said urgent measures are needed to guarantee the uninterrupted continuation of community-based living for the residents, who are people with disabilities.
The inspection was carried out on 4 December 2025 under the Commissioner's mandate as Cyprus' National Preventive Mechanism against Torture and as the independent body responsible for monitoring implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It followed complaints submitted to the Commissioner's Office regarding, among other issues, the living conditions at the facility.
The report states that the inspection was conducted without prior notice or consultation with the home's management.
Recommendations
Among its key recommendations, the Commissioner says no resident should be transferred to a setting that would amount to institutionalisation or result in a lower standard of care or personalised support than they currently receive.
She also calls on the authorities to complete, without delay, the process of identifying suitable community-based accommodation tailored to each resident's individual needs, supported by transition plans to ensure continuity of care and support.
The report further urges the immediate implementation of an already approved supported independent living programme for three residents currently living at the home. Until those arrangements are in place, it recommends that they be temporarily relocated to another suitable community-based residence that does not constitute institutionalisation and where personalised support can continue uninterrupted.
Better coordination
It also recommends that any decision to change the support arrangements provided to people with intellectual disabilities should be based on an individual assessment of their needs and involve the individuals themselves, where possible, or family members acting as representatives of their choice.
Finally, the Commissioner calls for closer coordination between the Social Welfare Services and the Department for the Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities to ensure continuity of care and prevent the institutionalisation of people with intellectual disabilities.
The report has been submitted to the Director of the Social Welfare Services for action on the recommendations to ensure there is no regression in support for the independent living of people with disabilities. A copy has also been sent to the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare and the Cyprus Confederation of Organisations of the Disabled (KYSOA).
