Mayors of the center will be offered suitable financing models for affordable housing projects and will advise on legal and technical questions, for example. Experts will work in all regions. The centers are financed from European sources, specifically from the component of the National Recovery Plan of the Ministry for Regional Development to support affordable housing.
Last year’s representative survey by the Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) and the Union of Towns and Municipalities in the Czech Republic showed that 69% of municipalities are not satisfied with their housing stock and 72% want to expand or renovate it. At the same time, only about a third of the municipalities had any experience with their own housing project in the last eight years. “Big cities have their experts, they know how to manage projects. On the contrary, smaller towns and villages often lack them, which is also why they do not engage in the construction, repair or purchase of apartments as much. After all, due to the low interest of local governments, the support programs under the previous government did not succeed. For this reason, in addition to financial support, we also offer practical advice and recommendations, for example how to find a quality builder and economist, how to change a spatial plan or prepare an urban study,” explains Deputy Prime Minister for Digitization and Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš.
SFPI regional housing investment support centers were established in eight regions and their branches operate in the rest – thanks to this, they cover the entire territory of the Czech Republic. They will work in cooperation with regional development agencies and a network of selected experts. “The newly established centers will provide mayors with free advice not only regarding state subsidies in the area of housing, but also expert investment advice. Their staff have previous experience in regional development and public construction in their regions. They will actively contact and tour individual municipalities so that both sides fully utilize their potential,” says Daniel Ryšávka, director of the State Investment Support Fund (SFPI).