Housing policy helps single parents and seniors | News

The shortage of apartments and the increased demand for them have driven rent prices to enormous heights, making it difficult for some groups of the population to find decent housing. Most often, they are single parents with children, socially weaker families, the elderly and the medically disadvantaged. Prague 3 helps them within the supported housing program. Over the past four years, she received almost 500 requests for an apartment and was able to grant 126. “Trojka currently has 1,867 apartments available. About twelve hundred of them are apartments of old settlers with contracts for an indefinite period. The rest consists of rents in the subsidized housing regime, whether they are social or professional apartments, and apartments rented commercially,” explains Deputy Mayor Ondřej Rut. According to him, around 80 municipal apartments are released annually, but they cannot be handed over for use immediately. A large part of them needs to be repaired or completely reconstructed. The district rents a similar number of apartments every year — according to the coalition agreement, six for subsidized housing, including professional housing, and four for commercial purposes.

The entry criterion for the allocation of a social apartment is an assessment of the economic situation of the applicant. Whether he will be included in the waiting list is decided by the point evaluation. This takes into account the length and severity of housing need, the number of children in the household, health status, disability and other risk factors, which may include living alone or being lonely in old age. There were several changes in October. One of the main ones is the scoring adjustment
so that it takes more into account the complex situation of lonely seniors who find themselves in housing need. This most often concerns those who receive an unexpected termination of their lease or live in unsatisfactory conditions.

The supported housing program also includes professional apartments intended primarily for teachers, social workers, police officers and police officers. For this purpose, Prague 3 has provided 36 units in the past three years. Special purpose apartments are a separate category. These are rented on the basis of special criteria to persons who have reduced self-sufficiency due to health and age. Eight fully barrier-free apartments are being created right now as part of the reconstruction of the house in Husinecká Street No. 9. They will also be rented preferentially to people with mobility disabilities. When the applicant receives an apartment, the district’s concern for him does not end. If the situation requires it, subsequent support provided by non-profit organizations is also recommended. They will provide households with the necessary support, which is aimed at problem-free housing and also that the tenant keeps the apartment.

In connection with the change in the rules of supported housing, Prague 3 increased the monthly rent from 145 CZK/m2 to 180 CZK/m2 for newly concluded or extended contracts, which is roughly half of the market price. “We are based on the fact that the state provides a safety net for vulnerable and economically insecure households, especially through the housing allowance. Our role is to enable affordable housing for the most vulnerable,” adds Ondřej Rut. The opposition representative Petr Venhoda also agrees with the change in the rules of supported housing, but he would like it to remember possible problems. “The change in the rules was desirable. However much the town hall has good intentions in providing a home for the necessary, the rules do not at all solve the situation with non-payers and non-adapters who annoy their neighbors and the surrounding area,” says Venhoda. According to Mayor Michal Vronský, however, the resolution of such complaints is a well-established process: “I can assure everyone that no initiative will remain without a response and an appropriate measure.” As part of subsidized housing, tenants receive a fixed-term contract of one year. With each extension, we also take into account the possible presence of complaints. Our goal is for good neighborly relations to work in the houses. That’s why we don’t extend the contracts of problematic tenants.”

More information about supported housing