The state wants to support the construction of rental apartments for seniors

Prague - The state will support the construction of rental apartments more in the coming years, especially for seniors. This is included in the draft state housing concept for the years 2014 to 2020, presented by Minister for Regional Development Kamil Jankovský at the conference of the State Fund for Housing Development (SFRB).
The pilot program to support the construction of rental apartments for seniors is set to be delivered to the government by the end of July. The SFRB will mainly provide support in the form of low-interest loans for the construction of rental apartments or for renovations.
"The Council of Seniors hopes that the state will behave more responsibly compared to previous years and also supports the aim of ensuring stable sources of income for the State Fund for Housing Development," said the chairman of the Council of Seniors of the Czech Republic, Zdeněk Pernes.
The increased emphasis by the state on supporting the construction of rental apartments was also welcomed by the Association of Tenants of the Czech Republic. "In the future, we fully support significantly greater support for rental housing in urban agglomerations, noting that this task cannot be postponed," said the chairman of the association, Milan Taraba.
The new housing concept aims to redefine the state's role in the housing sector. "Housing policy currently does not exist in the Czech Republic," said Minister Jankovský. According to him, the state currently uses only individual housing support tools in the Czech Republic.
The last housing concept was adopted by the government in 2005 and was effective until 2010. According to the consulting company KPMG, which participated in preparing the proposal for the new state concept alongside the Ministry of Regional Development and SFRB, the previous concept placed too much emphasis on supporting home ownership. The state also failed to ensure the stability of financial resources directed towards housing.
One of the key principles of the forthcoming housing concept, according to Minister Jankovský, should be long-term sustainability. "It is bad when the rules change every year," noted the head of the Ministry of Regional Development. This sentiment is shared by the general director of the Union of Entrepreneurs in Construction, Miloslav Mašek. "Clear and long-term rules should apply for the support of apartment construction in the upcoming period, which should not change for at least ten years and should be centralized and monitored by a single institution, such as the State Fund for Housing Development," stated the union's director.
According to the proposal for the new concept, by 2020 the state should also expand the supply of apartments suitable for the needs of people with disabilities. It wants to support the construction of adjustable apartments through low-interest loans and grants. Support should also focus on reducing the energy intensity of buildings.
Part of the new concept is a proposal for measures to prevent damage from natural disasters. In areas with a high risk of flooding, the state wants to promote better land use planning. From 2014, more money from European funds should also be directed to housing, for example, for preventing the emergence of groups at risk of social exclusion.
The proposal anticipates that loans and other refundable instruments will play a major role in state housing support in the coming years. In contrast, the significance of state grants will decrease. The private sector may also participate in financing the support. The state may raise additional funds for housing support from the sale of emission allowances.