Hatzidakis on “My House”: We are taking a step forward in housing policy

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, spoke about a piece of legislation that restarts the housing policy in a coordinated way for the first time, which goes beyond housing allowances, when presenting the bill entitled “My House” to the competent parliamentary committee. .

During the first meeting of the Economic and Social Affairs Committee, in which the draft law was introduced, Kostis Hatzidakis emphasized that for several years our country has not had a housing policy and although the actions provided for in the bill “will not fully and immediately solve the issue of housing in Greece”, but they are a new beginning, an important step to once again start a substantial housing policy, which will mainly respond to the needs of young people and especially young couples and young families, taking into account the need addressing the country’s demographic problem, which is the second largest in Europe after Italy.

As the minister in charge explained, this is also the reason why certain limits are set and because resources are finite.

As he clarified, there are no possibilities to cover everyone who would be in need, as we have measured the possibilities we have either from national or European resources or from the mobilization of resources from the private sector and we have presented in detail the wider program, of which the bill is also a part which is being discussed today. It is noted that the cost of the intervention is close to 1.8 billion euros and covers around 137,000 beneficiaries.

Responding to the opposition’s criticism of an incomplete housing policy, Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized:

“We bring these arrangements, having a clear conscience that we are taking steps forward. The government does not claim to solve all housing problems. Far be it from us such abilities of wizards and magicians. With this bill, however, we are taking a step forward in housing policy, with targeted regulations that have a pro-people and social character».

Then the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs presented the main actions of the “My Home” Program, which concern:

– Interest-free/Low-interest housing loans for young people aged up to 39, which Mr. Hatzidakis emphasized are given with income criteria based on the expanded heating allowance. “There are lower limits because we are talking about loans and there has to be a rudimentary guarantee that the loan will be repaid, because if we go to a new generation of red loans the program will not have succeeded,” he explained. He also emphasized that with this program, low-interest loans are given regardless of the course of interest rates: The interest rates will be fixed (¼ of the market rate) whatever this and that is because ¾ of the loan will be granted interest-free by DYPA only ¼ will be interest bearing and subject to purchase. Mr. Hatzidakis noted that the fund for the loans is in the order of 500 million euros, but there is a possibility of doubling the resources to cover more, if there is an increased demand for the program.

– “Coverage” program for our most vulnerable people (multiple children, beneficiaries of the Minimum Guaranteed Income, etc.), based on the empty houses that will be freed from the “Home” program (which expires at the end of the year), through the in which more than 1,000 private houses were rented by the State and made available for immigrants. These homes will be repaired if necessary at public expense and will be made available free of charge or at a very low rent to vulnerable young people.

– Social Compensation through DYPA. This is the institution applied in advanced European countries, such as Britain, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain. Through concession contracts, “stagnant” properties of DYPA are granted through competitive procedures. The concessionaire takes part of the apartments for his own exploitation and another part up to 60% is used for social housing. The houses are given according to DYPA decisions and transparent criteria. The institution of rent to own is also foreseen, so that the beneficiaries can become owners of the apartments they rent at a low rent.

– Funds of 200 million euros from European resources for the utilization of empty private houses, an important action that is not included in the bill as negotiations are ongoing with the European Commission for the specialization of the measure.

– Pilot action of Social Housing.

– Real estate utilization of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

– Renovate – Rent program for vacant houses.

The parties

From the side of SYRIZA, the rapporteur Theano Fotiou, said that the government is deceiving the young, poor and vulnerable before the elections in order to benefit banks and large contractors, while it does not respond to the “bombshell” of the housing crisis. Ms. Fotiou argued that this is a pre-election communication bill mocking the young and vulnerable and pointed out that “with five programs it attempts to deceive young people, poor vulnerable people and middle-income property owners”. In particular, he said that this bill concerns a few, while it creates expectations for many, in reality it only benefits the banks and large contractors and does not even address the triple problem of the Greek housing crisis, such as the amount of housing costs that today for the 45% of households are half a monthly income, the ND three-year red-hot loan spike to 700,000 and 50,000 auctions without first home protection, and c) the massive increase in rents mainly due to the rampant spread of airbnb.

Finally, Mrs. Fotiou countered her party’s proposals for a new holistic, documented and costed housing policy, as she said, with measures such as: The repeal of the bankruptcy law and the protection of the first home, the ban on airbnb activities for legal entities and possibility for natural persons to own up to 2-3 properties, special rent subsidy for young people and new couples, creation of a Housing Bank.

“The government’s bill does not constitute a comprehensive housing policy, but it is another communication bubble”, said the special buyer of PASOK-KINAL, Giorgos Moulkiotis and argued that it is nothing more than a bunch of half-measures that does not answer the housing problem today, while it is addressed to far fewer people than he claims. Among other things, Mr. Mulkiotis noted that the bill under discussion is an “unconscionable” bill. The special buyer of PASOK – Movement for Change, pointed out that the government, which in the years of its government has done absolutely nothing, proves with this bill that:

– He does not want to implement a substantial housing policy. It serves specific interests in the context of real estate. Mitsotakis’ and recently Mr. Hatzidakis’ crowns on housing policy for young people are a communication bubble.

– It continues its bonus policy even on the major issue of housing, with an anxious look at the elections and the grabbing of citizens’ votes that it seeks to deceive.

– He has not understood the magnitude of the housing crisis, which is taking on the characteristics of a ticking time bomb.

“Workers, even after the implementation of these housing programs of any government, because governments change but they remain, will still be ‘tenants’, in effect, in their own homes or worse, ‘hostages’ to auctions, which, of course, were upgraded after the SYRIZA law, are now electronic, we have modernized.

Because the auctions, of course, are also related to the “draining” of income, since too many people, many families cannot pay their installments. In conclusion, neither the government, nor, of course, the rest of the bourgeois parties want, but neither can, in our view, face the causes of the housing crisis, which is capitalist property itself and the market of the commodity called roof” emphasized on behalf of the KKE, the special buyer, Ioannis Delis.

Summarizing, Mr. Dellis raised the question of what has become of the OEK workers’ deductions and what does the government intend to do? “As this bill is, the issues that arise are that it is the definitive “burial” for any reconstitution, restoration, reconstruction, of the OEK together with the Labor Home Organization, the organization that would have the responsibility for the housing and the construction project and in essence a very good, very large “fillet” is given to contractors and to banks, with loans to take over buildings and operate them,” he said.

“The bill concerns one of the most critical issues facing Greek society in recent years. Especially, however, from the 3rd Memorandum of the SYRIZA government until today, the “Housing Policy”. It even more concerns the young generation of people, 25 to 39 years old, who have experienced economic and job insecurity, as well as immigration, for better living conditions, obsolescence, with characterizations such as “Young people are lazy”.

In this social bill no attempt is made to support young people. Instead, it becomes clear that the “Housing Policy” is also left at the mercy of the market,” said MeRA25’s special buyer, Maria Apatzidis. “We have to separate our position because the housing policy in favor of those looking for housing is not done in a neoliberal framework. Social changes are needed, conflicts with the big builders, which will be profitable at the expense of the young, and bold decisions, in relation to the current housing environment in the country,” he also said, after referring to the individual articles of the bill.

“The bill being passed contains many trap provisions. And this, because on the one hand, through the process of lending to households on favorable terms, without many times checking the creditworthiness of the beneficiaries, since they will also be persons with low incomes, there is a risk of thoughtless and reckless lending, with the prospect of future household over-indebtedness, with the risk of creating a new generation of debtors. and their families on the street,” said, among others, the special buyer of the Hellenic Solution, Maria Athanasiou, who stated that her party reserves its position in the Plenary.

RES-EMP

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