The conference in the Senate aims to present the concept of social housing

Prague - The concept of social housing should be a central point of the conference that will take place in a week in the Senate. Its Vice Chairman Zdeněk Škromach (ČSSD) stated today that hostels cannot be considered social housing. It should be apartments for low-income families, seniors, or people with disabilities, Škromach noted.
    "It is necessary to support programs for both housing cooperatives and municipalities so that small apartments for young families with children, for seniors, and for people with disabilities can be created here again," said the Deputy Chairman of the upper chamber.
    Chairman of the Czech Tenants Association Milan Taraba complained that despite the rising costs of housing-related services, the parameters related to the granting of housing benefits have worsened. Taraba considers the rules for changes in rent impractical in cases where the landlord and tenant cannot agree on the new amount. In the Czech Republic, these disputes must be resolved by courts and assessments, which is costly for the participants, while elsewhere in Europe, they follow municipal tables of locally usual rents, noted Taraba.
    Chairman of the Council of Seniors Zdeněk Pernes stated that up to 40,000 pensioners live under the pressure of not being able to pay their rent. He complained that governments have promised a social housing concept since 2000, but the law is not yet in place. Its basic outlines should be established this year, but the government expects to adopt the law only in 2017.
    Social housing does not exist in the Czech Republic. People in need often end up in inadequate and overpriced hostels. According to expert estimates, around 100,000 people could be living this way. Expenditures on housing benefits and the number of recipients are rising sharply. While in 2007, an average of 27,340 people received housing supplements monthly, amounting to 1,732 crowns, two years ago the state issued 65,100 benefits, averaging 3,608 crowns each.