Jablonec is resisting the establishment of accommodation facilities and has declared a construction ban

Jablonec nad Nisou - Jablonec nad Nisou wants to prevent the establishment of further accommodations for non-adaptable individuals in the city area. Therefore, starting in February, it announced a construction ban, which will prevent the construction or approval of additional accommodation facilities in the city area. It will remain in effect until the approval of a new zoning plan, but no longer than until the end of the year, said the mayor Petr Beitl (ODS) to reporters today. A similar method of defense against new accommodations and the related increase in crime has already been used by town halls in Kladno and Příbram.
    "Accommodations, especially for the less fortunate, arise very quickly, and during the preparation of a new zoning plan, regulating them becomes difficult," explained the mayor's deputy for development, Lukáš Pleticha (ČSSD). According to him, the zoning plan is already considerably advanced, and until it is approved, the ban will help with regulation. "It will temporarily halt the transformation of buildings currently serving other purposes into accommodation facilities," added Pleticha.
    According to Beitl, the number of accommodations for non-adaptable individuals has recently increased in the city, and the city had no means to prevent it. The reason is the housing social benefits, which, according to the mayor, have turned the accommodation of such individuals into a lucrative business in recent years. An impetus for the city was the establishment of another accommodation facility in Podhorska Street, which the city could not prevent. In this case, however, the ban will not help, as it does not have retroactive validity.
    The town hall has even stopped the sale of municipal properties that are in poor condition. "Previously, we sold them on the condition that the buyer would take better care of them than the city, and we even allowed part of the purchase price to be invested in the external appearance, and it worked," said Beitl. In the past, this led to a significant improvement in the condition of many buildings, according to him. Now, however, there is a new phenomenon where new owners try to profit as much as possible from the properties without investing a single koruna into their renovation. People there often pay high rents while living in inadequate conditions, according to him.
    Jablonec will therefore focus more on problematic localities with non-adaptable individuals. A working group has already identified 17 locations in the city that are problematic, particularly due to the abuse of the housing social benefits system. "These are mainly inhabited properties that do not meet hygiene standards, and their residents disrupt coexistence with other city inhabitants," explained the mayor. There are also areas associated with higher crime rates, such as the park on 5th May Street, Tyršovy Sady, the Liberecká-Budovatelů area, or around the bus station, where the town hall wants to increase oversight.