MMR will support community living for seniors with 160 million crowns

Retirement home in Portugal by Aires Mateus

Prague - The Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) will support the construction of community housing for seniors with 160 million crowns. The apartments will be intended for people over 60 years old and are designed to help them maintain independence and an active life. The ministry announced this in a press release today. It originally planned to allocate 120 million crowns for the construction of this type of housing. Interested parties can apply for the grant until the end of June this year.
    This type of support is being announced by the ministry for the first time this year, as it is a launch and testing phase. “Support is not aimed only at 'classic' seniors, that is, people over 65 years old, or at individuals with health and physical disabilities, but is intended for seniors starting from 60 years old, who have a high probability of remaining productively active in the workforce,” said the Minister for Regional Development, Karla Šlechtová (for ANO).
    Both individuals and legal entities, including municipalities, may apply for the grant. Financial support can be obtained for the construction of a barrier-free residential building with a minimum of ten and a maximum of 25 apartments, each with a maximum area of 45 square meters. For each apartment, MMR will allocate 650 thousand crowns, and the maximum grant for a single residential building amounts to 500 thousand euros (13.7 million crowns).
    Common areas are mandatory, such as a kitchenette with shared dining options or a nursing room, which are intended to facilitate neighborly interactions. The building may also include additional areas supporting community life, such as a hobby room, a TV room, or a summer terrace covered with a pergola. The ministry hopes that by utilizing these shared spaces and engaging in various communal activities, the community of residents will contribute to extending the independence of each senior.
    Both the construction and standard furnishing of these spaces will be eligible for funding from the grant. However, the common areas must not be used commercially for 20 years. The tenant will also be motivated to use these spaces by the fact that part of the rent for the common areas will be distributed among the individual apartments.
    In contrast, according to the conditions of the grant, it will not be possible to provide residential social services in the community home. However, at least one of the community social services must be available in the municipality.
    Housing support is one of the main tasks of the MMR. The same amount, that is, 160 million crowns, will also be allocated this year for the construction of care and entry apartments.