The government will pay the rent for 15 years. The criteria meet even at 40%. Polish

Will rent subsidies support millions of Polish families? / © 123RF / PICSEL

So you can summarize the PiS amendments to the project The State Aid Law on Housing Costs. They met with the approval of the parliamentary majority. The law, which is intended to guarantee a pension to people who are interested in their four corners, is now going to the Senate.

His assumptions are simple. S & # 39; it comes into force in a modified form, from the state budget – potentially to more than 5.7 million people – more money is expected than originally planned. Assuming that the first payments of an annual amount of PLN 200 million will start according to plan as early as next year and will last until 2034 (year by year the amount of co-financing should increase of 200 million PLN), over 15 years the support would exceed 27 billion zł.

This money is supposed to hit the pockets of those who can not get a loan to buy an apartment, and at the same time they place themselves in terms of income high enough not to have a common apartment. In this situation, it can be greater than 40%. population of Poland.

Earnings will be the main criterion for awarding the rent subsidy. Households of one person will be able to claim a payment if their average monthly income does not exceed 60%. average salary in the national economy, published by the Central Office of Statistics. Currently, it is about 2.5 thousand. PLN net.

For each subsequent person in the household, the limit is 60%. it is increased by 30 percentage points. (about PLN 1281). This means that in the case of two parents and their child (household of three), the limit will be 120%. average salary. Thus, they would receive a grant if their total income did not exceed PLN 5125.

Greater Freedom …

Earnings will not be the only determinant. The law also lists the catalog of 13 criteria (Article 9, paragraph 2), from which the city council can choose the most important decisive factors for the granting of rent subsidies. These include number of children, disability of a household member, loss of housing due to the action of the element or a construction disaster. Municipalities could also, for example, reward people who travel to work or study.

This catalog does not stop there. MEPs have accepted changes that give local governments more freedom and allow them to assess potential beneficiaries not only on the basis of statutory criteria, but also on independently established criteria.

Local authorities positively evaluate this change. Marek Wójcik, from the Union of Polish Cities, believes that any increase in local government autonomy in social policy is a step in the right direction. – This will allow us to take into account the local conditions, which are, after all, very different – he says

He doubts that local governments will try to invent unconventional requirements for potential beneficiaries. – On the contrary, it will not be necessary because the criteria presented by the government will be sufficient for many local governments – he says.

This is not the end of the changes. The members have also decided to extend the circle of beneficiaries to those who are excluded from it until now. According to the project, in the government version, grants were to be awarded only to first tenants of newly built or revitalized apartments.

An amendment was introduced to the Sejm so that subsidies could also be granted to tenants living in housing within 20 years of the completion of the investment

… and responsibilities [19659017]. task. Municipalities will act as intermediaries between investors and beneficiaries of the government program.

How does this work in practice? First of all, the municipality will have to contract with the investor and then ask Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego to conclude a fund guarantee contract for future subsidies for the rental of apartments covered by the 39; investment. Later, it will conduct the initial recruitment of residents, taking into account priority criteria, and provide investors with lists of those who are willing to rent available apartments.

Importantly, the final decision to enter into lease agreements will depend on the investor. It will evaluate the rental capacity. In response to the question of whether such a division of powers will not be the axis of conflict between local governments and developers, Marek Wójcik argues that the risk is negligible.

– I believe that the interest of investors will coincide with ours. I do not see the reasons why the developer would act irrationally and question the lists of those who wish to live or build against the policy of local self-government, regardless of, for example, the age of the residents and demographics.

On Two Fronts

These are not the only changes the government is making in the "Flat Plus" program. In addition to the Rent Law, the Sejm also passed a law on facilitating the preparation and implementation of housing investments and related investments, commonly known as the Housing Law.

It is a matter of speeding up the investment process by reducing the bureaucratic burden on the promoters' side. However, they should always meet the standards rigorously stipulated in the law, such as the distance between buildings and bus stops or the proximity of schools. Despite this, the government has announced that instead of five years to prepare for the investment, construction could begin in a year

In practice, this means that many administrative decisions need to be made in a simplified way . With the agreement of the City Council, it will be possible, for example, to invest in areas not covered by the local land use plan or agricultural areas. The decision on building permits in such a location will be made within 45 days of the submission of the corresponding application.

Legislative stage – a draft addressed to the Senate

Jakub Pawłowski, 09/07/2018