Prague, March 8 (CTK) – The Czech government approved the closely-watched bill on social housing to restrict the “trading in poverty” yesterday, government spokesman Martin Ayrer has said.
The draft legislation will be sent to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, now.
Under the bill, municipalities would allocate social flats to people in need voluntarily and if they did not do so, the State Housing Development Fund (SFRB) would provide them.
The Chamber of Deputies must pass the bill by the October general election and President Milos Zeman must sign it into law so that the legislation takes effect as of next year.
Some sectors and institutions have raised objections to the legislation.
Regional Development Minister Karla Slechtova (ANO) said after the government vote that her office insisted on narrowing the group of inhabitants to be entitled to this form of aid.
If the bill on social housing is passed, the first applicants for social flats may start turning to municipal authorities as of mid-2018. They should move into social flats in mid-2020 at the latest.
hol/dr/rtj
