The government’s announcements on housing policy are reheated food

 

Statement by Evanthia Savva Head of the Social Policy Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL

9 February 2022, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

We have once again heard the announcements made by the Anastasiades-DISY government about a supposed new “upgraded” housing policy. Announcements that we have been hearing for a few years now, but the housing problem in Cyprus remains acute and is constantly deteriorating.

• How does the government expect the housing schemes it announces to meet the needs of society when the cost of building a house has skyrocketed and loans are unaffordable for the overwhelming majority of young couples?
• How does the announcement of 800 houses over five years, the funding of which will depend on the future revenues of organisations such as casinos, meet the needs of society?
• How is it possible for the government to announce housing schemes and, at the very same time, insist on changing the VAT on primary homes without any targeting, that is to say making it even more difficult – if not impossible – for thousands of young couples to acquire their own homes?

The government does not realise that the state needs to elaborate a comprehensive and drastic programme so that it can respond to Cyprus’ acute housing problem. For AKEL, dignified, quality and affordable housing should be a universal right for every citizen of the country, which will be safeguarded through the implementation of a comprehensive and socially oriented housing policy. Unfortunately, the government has not listened to the proposals submitted by AKEL for months on the housing issue.

More specifically, inter alia, we had proposed and propose:

• Establishment of a Central Housing Policy Body to deal with issues of coordination, the formulation of policies, targeting of priorities and assessment of housing schemes.
• The expansion of socio-economic criteria in state schemes so they cover a larger part of society.
• The level of grants should be readjusted to reflect today’s conditions.
• The custom of social housing should be expanded, with the emphasis on state and local government housing construction programs, which should be provided with a low rent or rent-to-own according to socio-economic criteria.
• Tax reliefs should be promoted for the construction of primary homes for young couples.
• Implementation of a rent subsidy scheme based on socio-economic criteria.