As cities across Central and Eastern Europe face growing social needs with limited resources, strengthening social services has become an urgent priority. From Zagreb’s perspective, the response has been to modernise services around real needs and inclusion, while investing in delivery capacity. As Lora Vidović, Head of the Office for Social Protection, Health, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities, puts it: “Our entire approach is needs-driven, evidence-based and grounded in human rights.”
In recent years, Zagreb has expanded and modernised social provision, strengthened early developmental and psychosocial support, and developed community-based programmes, while working more closely with NGOs and other institutions to make services easier to navigate and reach for residents
These challenges and solutions were at the centre of Eurocities’ mutual learning event in Zagreb on 25–26 November 2025, which brought together city officials to exchange experiences on securing funding, improving accessibility and fostering cooperation in social provision.
Updating systems for new social realities
For Zagreb, the starting point is a clear mismatch between today’s social needs and the systems designed to address them.
“The core challenge is that we are all trying to respond to rapidly changing social realities with systems that were designed for a different era,” Vidović explains. While ageing, mental health, disability and migration increasingly require flexible, community-based support, much of the existing infrastructure still reflects institutional models from the past.
Cities are also expected to fill gaps that national systems do not fully cover. Zagreb provides services to residents from across Croatia, particularly for vulnerable groups, even when national financing does not fully follow. “We invest significantly into early childhood education, inclusion, prevention of peer violence, and mental-health programmes, but scaling these efforts is difficult because responsibilities are spread across multiple levels of government,” she says.
The core challenge is that we are all trying to respond to rapidly changing social realities with systems that were designed for a different era
Workforce capacity is another critical constraint. “Without a stable and skilled workforce, no reform can take root,” Vidović stressed, pointing to the need for continuous training, cultural change within institutions and sustained investment in staff.
Prioritising needs through disciplined budgeting
Despite tight budgets and staffing pressure, Zagreb has continued to expand and improve its social services. Vidović explains that this has required stabilising the city’s finances and reconnecting systems that had been operating in fragments, then using disciplined budget planning and clear priorities to deliver progress.
In 2024 alone, Zagreb increased its disability services budget by 80%, expanded and modernised facilities, strengthened early developmental and psychosocial support and introduced new community-based programmes for adults with complex needs. As a result, social service providers are now reaching around 240% more beneficiaries.
At the same time, the city has improved working conditions and pecuniary rights in social care institutions, such as senior homes and specialised centres providing counselling and support for persons with disabilities, to ensure continuity in service delivery. While EU funding can help pilot innovative initiatives, Vidović underlines that “Zagreb must also ensure long-term financial sustainability. That is the only way to guarantee that support remains reliably available to the people who depend on it.”
Cooperation as a driver of better services
A recurring theme of the mutual learning was the role of cooperation in strengthening social services. In Zagreb, breaking down silos within the administration and working closely with NGOs and national institutions is central to how services are delivered.
Without a stable and skilled workforce, no reform can take root
Each year, the city supports around 420 NGO programmes with an investment of €2.8 million. One example shared during the event was a housing community programme for people experiencing homelessness launched in 2025, which required close coordination across social care, health, housing and civil society.
This approach is guided by a clear principle. “Nothing about us without us,” Vidović highlights, emphasising that civil society organisations are active partners in policy-making, contributing expertise and lived experience. This has led to tangible results, including improvements in public transport accessibility after testing vehicles with disability organisations and establishing a permanent feedback mechanism for future fleets.
Participatory cooperation also shaped Zagreb’s Social Plan for 2025–2027, developed together with the City of Zagreb Social Council, bringing together experts, service providers and people with direct experience of social service needs.
Making services easier to access
Improving accessibility was another core focus of the mutual learning. In Zagreb, barriers often arise not because services do not exist, but because they are difficult to find or navigate. “We see accessibility not only as a physical issue but also as an information and service-access issue,” Vidović explains.
Zagreb is the first city in Croatia to introduce the Easy-to-Read standard, adapting key documents for people with intellectual disabilities, older residents and those with lower literacy levels. The city has also developed dedicated online portals for mental health and early development and runs more than 50 public-health and prevention campaigns each year.
Alongside digital tools, direct support remains essential. Zagreb provides free legal aid and a wide range of counselling services through its social care institutions and works closely with NGOs that reach citizens who face greater obstacles in accessing formal support.
Looking ahead, the city plans to pilot a One-Stop Information model bringing together information on social welfare, health and entrepreneurship in a single, accessible place, building on an approach already used in Pula.
Person-centred care and long-term reform
Zagreb’s broader approach to person-centred care was also highlighted during the event. In 2024, the city received the Gold Award as European Capital of Inclusion and Diversity in the category of cities over 50,000 residents. For Vidović, this recognition reflects a system-wide commitment rather than a single project.
Regardless of the user group, the core principle remains the same: support must adapt to the individual, not the other way around
She nevertheless points to the Centre for Integration as a clear illustration of the city’s philosophy. Presented during the mutual learning, the initiative focused on people experiencing homelessness, people with addiction, war veterans and victims of domestic violence, introducing social mentoring as a dedicated support service. Although the project formally ended in 2022, the model proved effective and is now recognised as a regular service under the Social Welfare Act.
Looking ahead, Vidović calls for comprehensive reform of long-term care and stronger integration between social and health services at both city and national levels. “Many citizens do not distinguish between ‘health’ and ‘social’. They simply need support that is coherent, accessible and free of unnecessary administrative barriers,” she states.
As cities across Central and Eastern Europe continue to face shared constraints, the discussions in Zagreb highlighted how disciplined budgeting, cooperation and a strong commitment to person-centred services can help cities move from fragmented systems towards more integrated and sustainable social support .
