housing developments in european countries - Department of ...

Section 3
Policies
Policies Section 3
vacancies in the social rented stock are also an issue in
In recent years, declining population and economic
In relation to vacant housing, the Belgian regional
number of dwellings being rehabilitated should be
some local authority operational areas where the
structural change have also emerged as an issue in the
government in the Walloon region has recently
increased from about 20,000 to 65,000 per annum.
population is in decline. In order to alleviate the
towns and cities of the ‘old federal States’ in western
introduced initiatives to promote the use of dwellings
Without subsidies from government it is likely that a
burden on municipal housing companies (which
Germany. In the German Government’s view, this
of this type. In Malta, recent amendments to the Civil
significant number of social landlords and owner
provide most social housing in Sweden) with high
situation requires the increased differentiation of
Code address the partition of properties held in
occupiers will be unable to fund this work.
vacancy rates, the National Board for Municipal
housing policy, as different initiatives are appropriate
common as a result of inheritance – one of the main
Housing Support was set up in August 2002. The
for different regions of the country. For example, in
reasons behind the high vacancy rate of dwellings. In
Among the countries where measures to promote
Board’s role is to provide support for the restructuring
regions with balanced markets, the housing stock is
cases where the property could not be sold because of
housing renovation and improvement have been
of municipal housing companies in places where there
becoming more important than the construction of
the objection of the heir, the court can allow the sale at
introduced in recent years, the United Kingdom and
is a large amount of vacant housing and where the
new housing. Over-supply and vacant dwellings call
the specified price, or in the case where there are
Ireland are distinctive because both have significant
municipality plays a key role in the local housing
for a stabilisation of the market by means of
unknown heirs, a curator would be appointed on their
programmes for refurbishment of social housing. The
market. The Board’s operations are intended to put
demolition and upgrading. Additionally, housing policy
behalf.
UK Government’s 2002 Spending Review commits it to
municipal housing companies on a financial footing
that is sustainable over the long term. In practice this
and urban development policy must be dovetailed to a
greater extent. The programme for urban restructuring
Housing Refurbishment Policy
achieving the following target by 2010: ‘to bring all
social housing into decent condition, with most of the
means that municipalities are given help to remove
in the new federal States, launched in 2002 and
As mentioned earlier, the renovation and improved
improvement taking place in deprived areas, and
surplus housing by recycling it for other uses or
involving funding amounting to €2.7 billion, is one of
maintenance of the housing stock has been the subject
increase the proportion of private housing in decent
demolition. A special State-owned company has been
the central instruments employed by the Government
of policy interventions in the vast majority of the 28
condition occupied by vulnerable groups.’ In order to
established for this purpose.
to address over-supply of housing in the former GDR
European countries under examination. The only
aid the assessment of achievements, the Government
region. The aim of the programme, which will run
exceptions in this regard are Austria, Malta, Sweden
has recently produced guidance for local authorities
In the United Kingdom, excess housing demand is an
until 2009, is to reduce this surplus supply by
and Finland, which do not have large-scale
and for social landlords, explaining in detail what the
issue in London and the South East of England.
demolishing the housing units not required in the
refurbishment programmes. In Austria, refurbishment
decent homes standard means and how to implement
Measures to address this issue are included in the
longer term in order to help housing markets function
is the responsibility of regional government and in
it.
Sustainable Communities Plan, which was published
effectively and by boosting the attractiveness of towns
recent years their activities have focused on promoting
by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in February
and cities through upgrading neighbourhoods that are
measures to reduce energy consumption and on CO 2
The Irish Government has also established several
2003. This policy statement aims to: increase the
important from an urban development point of view.
emissions. The comparative youth of the Finnish
programmes to enable local authorities, which provide
provision of high quality and affordable housing in
In order to achieve this, 350,000 dwellings which are
housing stock – some 60% of the dwellings in the
the majority of social housing in this country, to
areas of high demand and tackle the housing shortage
vacant on a long-term basis will be demolished.
country have been built since the beginning of the
refurbish their stock. These include the Remedial
in London and the South East by providing for major
1970s – means that it does not currently require
Works Scheme, which assists local authorities to
growth in four areas – the Thames Gateway, Milton
In addition, in 2002 central government launched a
significant refurbishment. In recent years, action by the
remedy structural defects in local authority housing.
Keynes/South Midlands, Ashford, and London-
research project on ‘urban restructuring in the old
Finnish Government in this field has concentrated on
Over 15,000 dwellings have been refurbished under
Stansted-Cambridge. At the same time, low demand
federal States’. As part of this project, pilot projects to
periodic maintenance and repair of buildings (rather
the scheme since its establishment in 1985. Another
for housing and housing market failure is an issue in
address low demand are being supported in 11 towns
than refurbishment), on long-term planning for large-
programme is a special project to refurbish Ireland’s
parts of the North and Midlands of England. Thus, the
and cities, where various measures such as conversion
scale repairs, the financing of repairs and the
only high-rise social housing estate at Ballymun in
Sustainable Communities Plan, also aims to address
and demolition work, measures facilitating re-use and
installation of lifts in apartment blocks in order to
Dublin, involving the demolition of the existing
market decline by regenerating declining communities,
upgrading, and construction and regulatory measures
facilitate independent living on the part of older
dwellings and their replacement with low-rise housing
and setting up nine pathfinder areas in this part of the
are being promoted. Funding amounting to €15
people. The installation of lifts in government-owned
(2,800 units) as part of an integrated strategy for the
country to tackle areas of low demand and housing
million has been provided for these projects, and it is
properties is seen as an important element in increasing
social, economic and physical redevelopment of the
abandonment.
envisaged that the lessons learnt from them will then
accessibility of dwellings in Malta. As mentioned in
area. Funding for the refurbishment of certain Dublin
be used in other towns and cities with similar
Section 2, in Sweden government subsidies for the
inner-city apartment complexes is a key aspect the
The housing market in Germany has seen marked
problems. Also, the Budget Support Act adopted at the
refurbishment of dwellings were reduced significantly
refurbishment programme.
regional segmentation in recent years which is
end of 2003 reformed the tax incentives for promoting
during the 1990s. A study carried out in 2003 by the
examined in more detail in Section 4. In the regions
home ownership with effect from January 2004. The
Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and
In addition, most of the long-standing EU members
within the former German Democratic Republic
amended version of the home ownership grant involves
Planning concluded that a considerable proportion of
fund more wide-ranging refurbishment programmes.
(GDR), which are often termed the ‘new federal
a shift in emphasis from the promotion of new housing
the dwellings built during the 1960s and 1970s have
This includes Ireland, where several schemes to fund
States’, demand for housing has fallen and in some
construction to the promotion of the purchase of
now reached a stage where they require substantial
the refurbishment and improvement of privately owned
localities and tenures there is a problem of over-supply.
dwellings from the existing housing stock.
refurbishment and recommended that the average
housing have been established.
94 European Union Report
Regular National Report on Housing Developments in European Countries
95