The housing issue is addressed in the electoral programs of most parties

Prague – The issue of housing has been included in the programs of most parties currently represented in the Chamber. This includes support for cooperative housing construction, providing long-term loans with low interest rates, or reducing VAT on construction and renovations. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš plans to manufacture prefabricated apartments in a state factory. The elections are to take place on October 8 and 9.

The Spolu coalition of the Civic Democrats, the People's Party, and TOP 09 aims to increase the annual number of new apartments by 40,000 to more than double the current production. "Addressing the inaccessibility of new housing in the Czech Republic requires a set of measures, and we are betting on all forms of ownership. The launch of construction should involve a distribution of investments between the state and private investors, a reduction in VAT on construction and renovations, and the option of interest-free loans from the state,” stated ODS Deputy Chairman Martin Kupka. According to him, these should arise from architectural competitions and offer municipalities or cooperatives designs with already completed assessments, for example from firefighters or structural engineers.

Prime Minister and leader of the ANO movement Andrej Babiš sees the future in the production of prefabricated apartments in a state factory. "The state will have a factory for apartments. It will produce ready-made modules. (…) No bare apartments, but beautiful, cozy, and safe housing suitable for the 21st century. Yes, and the heating is in the walls. They also have perfect insulation," writes Babiš in his new book Share Before They Ban It!

A municipality that urgently needs new apartments, according to his proposal, only needs to pour a concrete slab on the land. The state will take care of everything else. "This is not some crazy fantasy of mine; such apartments are already being produced in many countries. The price? About 16,000 crowns per square meter. Those who at least have a little knowledge know that the average price here is completely different. And in Prague, it can easily exceed 100,000 crowns,” Babiš continues.

The STAN movement wants to address the situation through the National Development Bank, which would finance projects with long-term loans and low interest rates. And that for several decades. "Together with more efficient and faster building regulation, this can speed up apartment construction. If we provide municipalities, cities, and developers with the certainty that suitable types of real estate financing are available, it will also lead to a decrease in prices for the tenants themselves,” states STAN in its program.

According to the Pirates, it is necessary to truly speed up the construction process, better utilize the housing stock, address short-term rentals, or support urban, cooperative, and other types of construction. "The demand for housing in large cities can largely be limited by the increasing importance of regional centers, where there will be enough job opportunities. Brownfield sites hold a favorable position and good transport accessibility, which makes them ideal for new construction. Their utilization depends on the acceleration of the processes for approving zoning plans and honest land planning, including sufficient infrastructure,” said Pirate Deputy Chair Olga Richterová.

The KSČM wants to continue supporting cooperative housing construction. "It is one of the fair and non-profit paths to obtain affordable housing. Relying on reducing housing prices through tax system adjustments is merely a way to higher profits for housing developers,” stated KSČM MP Leo Luzar. Instead of the planned bureaucratic quarter in Prague's Letňany, the communists propose to build an estate with 30,000 apartments under state management.

The ČSSD in its program "Vision 2030 - Housing" proposes, for example, to enforce a law on public benefit companies. "This could reduce the price of new apartments by up to 30 percent. Moreover, this model will allow the construction of 12 to 15 thousand apartments annually within two to three years of the law taking effect. The principle of the law is based on the fact that non-profit companies borrow money for the construction of apartment buildings from banks,” stated MP Jan Birke.

The SPD does not specifically address housing policy in its broadly formulated program on its website. It emphasizes the system of social solidarity of society towards those in need, as well as the protection and support of the traditional family.