The key principle and objectives of the housing policy center on developing a favourable legal, institutional and fiscal environment for all actors on the housing market. The State should not restrain the economic functioning of the housing market; however, it must simultaneously take supportive steps for groups of households which cannot secure housing on the market by themselves. The housing policy concept approved by the Government constitutes a binding strategic document for all ministries, which sets forth the basic directions for the development and specific objectives in the field of housing.
From the point of view of housing market actors, the objectives of the housing policy are as follows:
- Functioning of the housing market, including relevant legal arrangements for owner-occupied, rental as well as cooperative housing, including enforceability of laws; elimination of price and legal distortions in the rental housing segment is a constituent element of this objective,
- Improvement of the financial affordability of housing for households, including social benefits for housing compensating overall housing expenditures for lower income households,
- Expansion of housing stock, including support for new construction, inclusive of construction of flats intended for social housing,
- Improvement of housing quality, including assistance to owners with management, maintenance, repairs and modernisation of housing stock,
- On-going monitoring of the housing market, as well as monitoring of the efficiency and effectiveness of various supportive instruments and adjustment thereof,
- Application of non-discriminatory rules of the EU common market, including conditions of competition, and compatibility of public aid with European Community laws.
These objectives are achieved through legal regulations (Civil Code providing information on the flat rent, Act on Unilateral Increase of Flat Rent, Act on the Ownership of Flats, etc.) and also through supportive housing instruments. They include programmes financed from the State budget through the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic, as well as financial aid from the State Investment Support Fund on the basis of various Government Executive Orders specifying the terms and extent of particular forms of assistance.