Potentials and planning strategies for a positive development
Potentials and planning strategies for a positive development
Potentials and planning strategies for a positive development
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Liepa develops as more resources must be put in Sarkani. There<strong>for</strong>e are politicians<br />
<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>lords obliged to increase the wealth in Sarkani.<br />
On the other h<strong>and</strong>, the local authority is pressured from government to<br />
develop <strong>and</strong> report. “We” need evaluation of the summerhouses/barracks,<br />
stated the chairman of Liepa. 115<br />
L<strong>and</strong>lords <strong>and</strong> ownerships<br />
There is a difference between private <strong>and</strong> private: Private owned house<br />
doesn’t mean that the house has one owner, but instead that the house contains<br />
households that own their flats.<br />
Latvia laws <strong>for</strong>bid people to by houses, but people can by their flats. 116<br />
The problem in Sarkani is – on one side – that people can’t af<strong>for</strong>d to by their<br />
flats <strong>and</strong> – on the other side – to raise <strong>and</strong> adjust the housing st<strong>and</strong>ard to<br />
normal E U st<strong>and</strong>ards. There are 9 houses in Sarkani: the municipality owns<br />
8 <strong>and</strong> 1 is private owned. “We” gave the house it to the inhabitants, declared<br />
the chairman. Today, 60 percent of the households in Sarkani own their<br />
flats. 117<br />
The economical situation in Liepa region developed very slowly. About<br />
eight years ago “we” started to talk about the situation in Sarkani, recalled<br />
the chairman. 118 The process started together with a private owner. But he<br />
died, <strong>and</strong> no other wanted to go further with the project. Further, a property –<br />
the so-called production area in Sarkani – was put <strong>for</strong> security in a bank.<br />
Since then the bank owns the area.<br />
Localities <strong>and</strong> organisational network<br />
The religion takes physical <strong>for</strong>ms in Sarkani: not as a church but as a praying<br />
room belonging to the Methodists. They are better received in the area then<br />
the Salvation Army which “talks about not to do”. 119 Anyway, both Salvation<br />
Army <strong>and</strong> Methodist church have social programmes, i.e. cloths-charity. 120<br />
Are the Methodists – as an actor with interests in the village – participating<br />
in <strong>planning</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>development</strong>? No, “because the religion is separated from<br />
the state”, was the ironical answer. 121<br />
A subsidy-paradox<br />
There is an obstacle between private owning <strong>and</strong> subsidies. If municipality<br />
sell the houses to the inhabitants <strong>for</strong> renovation, then the municipality can’t<br />
115 Ibid.<br />
116 Ibid.<br />
117 Ibid.<br />
118 Ibid.<br />
119 Ibid.<br />
120 Johansson (2007).<br />
121 Sundin (2007).<br />
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