The Committee for Public Administration has suspended the discussion on the housing support bill

Prague - The Chamber of Deputies' Committee on Public Administration and Regional Development has suspended further discussions on the amendments to the Housing Support Act. According to its members, some parts of the proposed amendments need further legislative clarification. The law is proposed by the Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MPSV) and aims to create systemic support for people at risk of housing insecurity. The draft law passed its first reading in the Chamber in July. At that time, it resisted opposition proposals for rejection or referral.

One of the main goals of the law is, according to MMR, to gradually reduce the number of people in housing insecurity from the current 154,000. Two-thirds of these are families with children. The government expects to save on costs associated with the housing crisis from this legislation.

The law plans, for example, the establishment of contact points in municipalities with extended competence, which will provide counseling aimed at preventing the loss of housing. A voluntary guarantee system is also to be created for private landlords, known as guaranteed housing, and a system of financial contributions for municipalities that lease their apartments to people in housing insecurity. Additionally, the norm anticipates housing assistance, which will help supported households maintain their housing while minimizing risks for landlords and neighbors. In cases of guaranteed housing, the provider will guarantee landlords the payment of rent and services if the tenant fails to pay.

According to Deputy Karel Haase (ODS), the current draft law increases bureaucracy, raises administrative burdens, and increases state expenditures at a time when it needs to reduce them. Representatives of the Association of Towns and Municipalities and the Chamber of Commerce also expressed negative opinions on the proposal. According to the Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš (Pirates), who also participated in the discussions, the proposed amendments simplify the legislative wording of the law and adjust some of its technical parts. Without the acceptance of these amendments, its functioning would be more complicated.

The economic committee also dealt with the law today and did not adopt any position. Only one deputy, Jiří Slavík (TOP 09), voted for the recommending resolution. The rest of the committee abstained. The budget committee and the social policy committee also did not adopt a resolution on the law. Deputy Zuzana Ožanová (ANO) informed that the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee suspended the discussion of the bill. According to her, this is because a new amendment to the eviction order is being prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. She believes that the proposed amendment to the eviction order, as it stands in the law, does not work.

The Housing Support Act is part of the so-called Housing for Life reform promoted by the Ministry of Regional Development, which aims, among other things, to ensure the necessary investments in the construction and reconstruction of affordable rental apartments. According to the draft budget prepared by the Ministry of Finance, MMR's expenditures in 2025 are expected to reach 13.3 billion CZK. Compared to this year, they are expected to decrease by almost 13 percent, or two billion CZK, which would be the largest decrease among all ministries. Bartoš stated on Sunday that the budget proposal is unacceptable for the coalition Pirates and demands an increase in expenditures for the construction of affordable housing by seven billion CZK.