Opposition leftist parties discuss potential solutions to Hungary’s housing problems

Opposition parties discussed and generally agreed on a six-point proposal to resolve housing problems in Hungary put forward by the A Varos Mindenkié (The City is for All) civil group. 

At a forum held on Wednesday evening in Budapest, representatives of the Socialist Party, green opposition LMP, the leftist Democratic Coalition (DK), Együtt, Dialogue and Momentum were in agreement on five of the six points offered by the NGO.

The sole area of disagreement concerned the idea of enshrining the right to housing in Hungary’s constitution.

Socialist board member Lajos Korozs said the right to housing should have been cemented in the constitution long ago.

Együtt leader Viktor Szigetvári said the right to housing should be a second-generation right, arguing that requirements for it could be enforced on the level of laws.

DK’s Peter Niedermüller said

parties should think about how the right to housing could be enshrined in the constitution.

LMP co-leader Bernadett Szél said her party would set up a state-subsidised rental housing system, a debt management service, restore household maintenance subsidies and introduce long-term cuts to utility bills if it came into power.

Momentum board member Anna Orosz said the current housing subsidy system was “unsustainable” and “morally unacceptable” because it favoured the upper middle class.

The politicians agreed on the need to expand the existing rental housing sector.

They also agreed that a uniform housing maintenance subsidy should be introduced in every city and town in the country. Further, a debt management service and debt reduction subsidy should be made available to everyone.

The parties also concurred on the need to establish an affordable private rental housing sector and to institutionalise the right to housing for families with children.

They also agreed on the need to provide housing support to homeless people instead of criminalising homelessness.

Source: MTI