Social housing in Split proving popular.
In about ten days, the official list of potential users of Socially Assisted Housing (POS) rental apartments in Split should be completed. The applications have been submitted by as many as 1,794 people, said the Split deputy mayor Goran Kovačević after a meeting he had with representatives of the Agency for Property Trading (APN) and the Ministry of Construction and Urban Planning, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on October 8, 2015.
Sources from the City Hall claim that, due to the great interest of citizens for rental POS apartments, discussions have already started about possible new locations where the POS program could expand, which would help a large number of people from Split to solve their housing problems.
In this regard, the analysis is being performed of areas in the city which are suitable for the construction of POS apartments. APN has expressed willingness to find the money for construction of new apartments, while the city of Split is ready to provide all the necessary utilities and infrastructure.
“The large number of applications sent by our fellow citizens for the POS rental program has confirmed that the contractual security offered by state, price benefits and the possibility of subsequent purchase of the apartments represent a winning combination. Together with APN, we will continue with the POS project as long as there is such an interest among our citizens. This is yet another proof that the tenants in Split, but also in the rest of Croatia, are discriminated group which has no rights, very often without signed contracts with their landlords, who therefore depend on their landlords’ good will despite the high prices that they are paying for their rentals”, said the Split deputy mayor Goran Kovačević.
“Five years ago, I initiated the inclusion of rental element in the POS program, and now we are preparing the legislative proposals which would regulate the measures the implementation of which would ensure that existing tenants receive at least a contractual security with their current landlords, and that the landlords cannot raise rental prices due to new tax obligations”, said Kovačević.
It is expected that in the first half of October the construction of another 164 apartments and a kindergarten at Kila 1 project will start, while at Kila 3 the construction should be finished by the end of this month, when the first 206 buyers of POS apartments will be able to move into their new homes.
Split is currently the largest construction site of POS apartments in Croatia, with a total of 573 apartments being built.
