Fico: Slovakia Lacks Rental Apartments, State to Make Them Available for People

Bratislava, January 30 (TASR) - A rental-housing sector hasn't been created in Slovakia, with as many as 90 percent of apartments being privately owned, and so increasing the availability of rental housing is currently one of the government's main priorities, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told a news conference on Thursday, pointing to the importance of the State-Supported Rental Housing Agency (ASPNB) in this connection. According to the premier, people will have a possibility to obtain stable and available housing thanks to state support. He stressed that this is not about social apartments, but standard rental housing of average quality. "These aren't social apartments intended for people who are, let's say, completely at the bottom when it comes to their incomes. These are standard rental apartments. They will only have the advantage of regulated rents," said Fico. All the parties concerned should benefit from the development of state-supported rental housing - their residents, municipalities and the business sector mediating their construction, said Fico. He sees rental housing as an opportunity for private Slovak construction firms, adding that the financial costs for the state should be minimal. The agency should launch a register in which those interested in rental housing can enrol, as of February 1, announced Fico. At the same time, he thanked the previous government for coming up with the idea of developing state-supported rental housing during its term. ko/df