We live under undignified conditions
On the World Habitat Day, we have to ask the question, what does the government do to improve the housing situation of people?
Housing crisis is the real problem
Today, the housing crisis affects several million people in Hungary. During the last decades, neither governments took any effective action against housing issues, which have by now led to breaking up families or taking children from their parents because of housing problems, and to the fact that the number of homeless people equals the population of a small town. All of this could be prevented if the government and the municipalities would renew or build more rentable dwellings at an affordable price.
Many do not live under decent housing conditions
In Hungary, 2.5 million people – among them half a million children – live in damp, moldy flats. Seventy percent of the dwelling stock requires refurbishment regarding energy efficiency, and almost two hundred thousand children live in homes that have no bathroom or toilet. About one-third of tenants on the market have payment issues, and altogether 840 thousand people struggle with housing payment problems – they spend over 40% of their incomes on housing.
Mainly the wealthier have access for housing allowance
Despite all of this, no effective measures were yet taken to end housing problems, moreover, the government is going to spend over 80% of its housing allowance expenditure on benefits that primarily help those in wealthier status in the upcoming year as well – such as the “CSOK” social policy benefit. Although as Habitat, The City is for All group and the Fiscal Responsibility Institute have calculated earlier, the 100 thousand millions spent on the “CSOK” would be enough to build 7,100 rental flats, which could provide the housing for 20-30 thousand people, or to refurbish 14,300 rental flats. From a quarter of the overall housing expenditure (67 billion HUF), a fair, regular housing maintenance benefit could be introduced that would help almost 3 million people to sustain their housing on a long term.
Take part in the largest walk for housing of the year!
Join the walk for the right of housing on the 8th of October . Let’s raise our voice together against the unjust housing policy and stand up for the rights of people living in housing poverty!
