PS: Housing Affordability Worsening, Slovak and EU Solutions Can Help

Bratislava, 17 September (TASR) - New flats in Slovakia continue to decline in number and remain increasingly unaffordable, making it virtually impossible for young people to acquire their own housing, representatives of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party told a press conference held in Parliament on Thursday, adding that solutions to this situation exist at both Slovak and European level. According to PS leader Michal Simecka, the European Commission (EC) last week presented its draft Affordable Housing Act which is in line with the solutions spearheaded by PS in the spring of this year. "This means speeding up permitting processes, releasing supply, developing affordable rental housing and using neglected land on which construction could take place. The whole concept on which our approach is based, including the declaration of a state of housing emergency and acceleration zones, can also be seen in the European proposals," explained Simecka. According to him, the EC's initiative also means that EU member states will be able to draw €4.7 billion in European funds for the housing sector in the coming years. "What Slovakia needs, however, is a government with projects ready to go and able to draw on these funds from day one, enabling the construction of as many homes as possible," stressed Simecka, adding that the current cabinet is unable to do this. PS MP Jan Hargas said that under the current government of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), housing construction in Slovakia has fallen to its lowest rate in 20 years. "Our commitment is to double the construction rate to 30,000 flats a year and, during four years in government, we'll start constructing 15 new neighbourhoods. These are not unrealistic targets; these are goals comparable to the pace of construction in Poland," said Hargas. In addition to declaring a state of housing emergency in the most affected districts and creating acceleration zones with more efficient permitting procedures, the party also plans to strengthen measures for social and affordable housing, help municipalities with housing construction, reform the State Housing Development Fund (SFRB) and make mortgages more accessible. jrg