The newly-formed Government Committee on Housing Policy, whose primary aim is the implementation of a unified, cohesive and more effective strategy on housing, had its first meeting on Friday. Its mission is to monitor, coordinate and effect a strategic consolidation of all existing policies relating to housing, ultimately aiming at a comprehensive, long-term and viable plan for affordable housing over the next five years.
The first session was taken up with the presentation of 43 different support measures aimed at alleviating the housing problem, for both home-ownership and rental properties, with a total budget of 6.5 billion euros and more than 1.5 million beneficiaries (roughly 18.3% of the adult population). It was noted that rates of home ownership in Greece (73%) remain higher than the European Union average (69%), with roughly three in four Greeks owning their own home.
The committee set as its central target the further improvement of home ownership levels through active policies to increase the amount of affordable properties available on the market. Among others, the meeting approved legislation that will allow state real estate holdings to be traded with private companies, in exchange with the construction of modern housing to cover the population's housing needs.
The meeting also set the goals for the next 18 months and discussed a comprehensive affordable housing programme and related issues.
Among those participating in the meeting were Minister of State Akis Skertsos, Social Cohesion and Family Minister Domna Michailidou, Interior Minister Thodoros Livanios, Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, Development Minister Panagiotis Theodorikakos, Labour and Social Security Minister Niki Kerameus, Alternate National Economy and Finance Minister Nikos Papathanasis, Deputy Defence Minister Athanasios Davakis, Deputy Education, Religions and Sports Minister Nikos Papaioannou, Secretary General for Public Property Athanasios Tsiouras, GrowthFund Deputy CEO Panagiotis Stampoulidis and aides to the prime minister.
The meeting is expected to meet every couple of months, in addition to extraordinary sessions when necessary, to further the "right of all to decent and affordable housing," which according to Skertsos "lies at the heart of social cohesion and government policy."