The lack of a social housing law was the main reason why we founded the Platform for Social Housing in 2013. Since then, we have been working hard to get it passed, and we are still not done. After failing in 2017, when the law did not pass its first reading, we joined forces with municipalities and academics and are now advocating for the creation of the law in the Za bydlení (For Housing) coalition.
Why is this necessary?
According to the Report on Exclusion from Housing, 161,000 people, including 62,000 children, are living in housing poverty in the Czech Republic. We do not have enough money to solve the problems through subsidy programs alone, and it would take decades. The scale of the problem is so great in many municipalities that it is difficult for them to solve it without support from the state.
The law will establish a wide network of accessible contact points providing people with expert advice and assistance to prevent them from losing their homes.
Each municipality can tailor the housing support system to its needs, municipal employees will not have to take on additional work, and the municipal budget will also save money. A guaranteed housing system will be created, thanks to which municipalities and private owners will not have to worry about someone not paying their rent on time.
Solutions in numbers
0
households
si může přijít pro radu v oblasti bydlení
0
households
se může nastěhovat do normálního bydlení za prvních 10 let účinnosti zákona
What we did to get the Housing Support Act passed
In the Za bydlení (For Housing) coalition, we participated in the creation of a specific bill that would address the housing crisis in Czechia. We submitted the bill to the current government in 2022, and we are now advocating for it to be adopted as soon as possible and with the best possible parameters.
We test the measures we propose in the law and consult with those directly affected by them. We are in close contact with municipalities, social service providers, and their clients, listening to their needs and incorporating their requirements into the draft law.
We have been drawing attention to the need for this law in the media for a long time in order to raise public awareness of the issue. To push the law through, we also meet with public officials in person and organize expert seminars for them.
Would you like to know more about our work on the law? Write to katarina.sramkova@socialnibydleni.org.
Even in small regions such as Karlovy Vary, we face major problems. The problems of people and communities associated with inadequate housing and rampant poverty are also serious problems for us. The proposal of the Za bydlení (For Housing) initiative makes sense to me, and I definitely support it. I believe that we will soon see a bulletproof explanatory memorandum, the wording of the law, and its adoption within a year at the latest.
Robert Pisár, Member of the Karlovy Vary Regional Council for Social Affairs
Discussion seminar with members of parliament (photo by Petr Zewlakk Vrabec)
