Social Co-ownership: Criticism of the New Housing Bill

Citizen organizations are expressing concerns about the new bill on "social co-ownership," which is under consultation until August 20th. Fears are focused on the potential granting of excessive privileges to major contractors, with limited benefit to citizens.

The bill aims to address the lack of social housing in Greece, where until now there was no relevant provision. The "social co-ownership" program, initially established by Law 5006/2022, provides for cooperation between public sector bodies and private contractors for the construction of buildings on public property. In return, the contractors will exploit the property for a certain period, leasing part of it to beneficiaries with social criteria.

However, the new bill reportedly includes concessions in favor of private individuals, such as reducing the minimum percentage of social housing to 30% and changing the regime for returning the property to the state after the expiration of the exploitation. There is also concern about the urban planning exceptions that favor contractors.

The "Thessaloniki Tenants Union" is strongly critical, calling "social co-ownership" a "disguised privatization." Citizen organizations are calling for an increase in the percentage of social housing, the setting of a maximum rent limit, and transparency in the selection process of beneficiaries.

Architect Tonia Katerini points out ambiguities in the bill and emphasizes that it follows the philosophy of classical co-ownership, mainly benefiting contractors. Kostas Vourekas expresses concerns about the possibility of urban planning distortions.