After 7 years, the demolition of Budapest’s notorious slum begins

The demolition of one of the buildings in Budapest’s notorious Hős Street slum has officially begun, following a seven-year delay. While the 6,500-square-meter Building B is being dismantled, residents of the neighbouring Building A, many still living in substandard conditions, face uncertainty about their future. The government’s long-awaited plan to clear the area is part of efforts to make way for a new operations complex for the Counter-Terrorism Centre (TEK).

Demolition of infamous Hős Street slum begins

After seven years since the government’s decision to dismantle the Kőbánya segregated area, demolition of one of the buildings has begun, while residents still occupy another. Last Monday, a demolition contract for one of the two segregated blocks on Hős Street was signed, marking the start of the demolition of Building B, Népszava reports.

Google Maps view of the Hős Street slum.

The contractor, VA-HÍD Ltd., agreed to demolish the 6,500-square-meter Building B for a net cost of HUF 294.3 million (EUR 717,500), including waste removal. This brings the total cost of dismantling the complex to over HUF 3 billion (EUR 7.3 million). However, the demolition of the neighbouring Building A has not yet been commissioned. Of the 317 apartments across both buildings, 169 were municipally owned, eight were state-owned, and 140 were privately owned.

Last year, the government instructed the Minister of Economic Development to ensure the acquisition of property rights for the buildings in the Hős Street crisis area to facilitate the construction of a new operations complex for Hungary’s Counter-Terrorism Centre (TEK), located nearby.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/12akd

All residents of Building B have been relocated, though some were moved without sufficient planning, leaving a few homeless. However, others have reportedly found temporary housing. In the still-occupied Building A, many residents remain, some of whom are property owners. The demolition of this building is not expected for several months, though the ongoing housing crisis and approaching winter may keep some people in these decaying buildings for now, as it is better than living on the streets or in shelters.

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