CURRENT HOUSING SITUATION IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC Ing. Milan Taraba SITUATION AT THE END OF 2008 Motto: GOOD HOUSING IS PART OF A SOCIAL EUROPE

Introduction  This presentation is part of a lecture on housing policy in the Czech Republic  This presentation was compiled in cooperation with experts of the Czech Tenants’ Association (SON) and Czech Society for Housing Development (ČSRB)  It is based on the existing ‘Housing Policy Strategy” as defined by the government decision 297/2005  It gives some historical background (see charts)

HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT  Definitions from important international documents, above all the OSN – HABITAT and the European Charter for Housing  Every country has its own housing strategy and housing policy which is balanced and entails home ownership (apartments, houses), collective forms of ownership (co-ops, associations, housing at moderated rents), municipal housing, all the way to social housing or housing for marginalized groups

CRISIS  A similar situation – price crisis – was experienced by Norway in 1985, France in 1971, and today it has hit the US and presents a difficult issues. The fall of prices basically stops the market’s operations and supply is put to halt – nobody will be selling once the prices have fallen deep enough  It is the result of a lack of systematic approach, unwillingness to make adjustments and correction, underestimating the bloated housing market and an incomplete range of legal instruments  No housing options for the middle- and low-income groups. Many people today live in apartments they got access in the pre-89 period (Communist regime) but where shall the new generation live?  A crash in prices was preceded but a significant price increase – a distortion caused by legislation on the imposed rent increases, see chart

SUGGESTIONS  to define social housing and its role in society, to adopt legislation on social housing  to support regeneration of apartment houses, decreasing energy consumption and increasing energy performance, decreasing CO2 emission and dangerous gas emissions into air, and thus help mitigate the effects of economic crisis in the regions  to create a housing stock database  to adopt new legislation on rent and utilities charges and replace current legislation governing these issues; to remove deficiencies (e.g. the ‘indiscriminate approach’)  to prevent speculations with the housing stock by adopting relevant tax and economic measures  …

SUGGESTIONS  to renew and support rent homes and housing co- operatives  to target support programs on those truly in need, i.e. middle- and low-income groups  to prevent forced privatization of the housing stock  to support access to housing for young families  to improve the quality and efficiency of administration of the housing stock  to develop a housing policy and regional development plan as a continuation of urban planning at the higher levels of local government (regions and municipalities with a higher degree of self-government)

OUR GOAL ACCESSIBLE HOUSING AT A DECENT STANDARD! AN APARTMENT IS NOT A COMMODITY, IT IS A HOME!

Flats (in thousands) Gross increase of flats Net increase in flatsGross decrease in flats

PeriodFamily housesApartment houses Until ,517, ,431, ,226, ,318, ,66,2