Local services
The Főnix Housing Programme is a programme to support housing for young people in Debrecen, the details of which will be discussed at tomorrow’s General Assembly. The new measure was presented at a press conference by the Faction leader of the Fidesz-KDNP parliamentary group in the Debrecen Assembly and municipal representative Viktor Papp and municipal representative György Korbeák.
Faction leader and municipal representative, Viktor Papp said “the Debrecen assembly will discuss several proposals tomorrow, one of the most important items on the agenda concerning young people in Debrecen is the Főnix housing programme.
Thanks to Debrecen’s intensive economic development activities, the city’s local tax revenues have increased, tripling in 10 years, and this gives the local government more scope to implement caring programmes that support the quality of life of the people of Debrecen, in addition to the mandatory municipal and development programmes. These include the “Move, Debrecen!” programmes, or the free public transport for students aged 6-14 years in Debrecen, launched on the 1st of April, and the Főnix housing programme as a new element”.
The Faction leader emphasised “Debrecen provides a good quality career and life path for young people, with nursery schools, primary schools, secondary schools, vocational training and universities providing excellent education and training. Moreover, as a result of the economic development, young people have a good level of financial security thanks to the jobs created by companies in Debrecen, thus, the young people working here can see a long-term perspective in the city”.
Presenting the details of the Főnix Housing Programme, Viktor Papp highlighted that “the measure aims to address the housing challenges of Hungarian citizens under 35 years of age working in Debrecen who have an open-ended employment contract with employers who join the programme. He noted that the survey of employers has been launched not only towards large companies, but also towards the SME sector and there is a significant interest in joining the programme”.
The program can be entered by young people who do not have an apartment in Debrecen that they can move into and who agree to apply for a registered address in the property. The support period is 5 years, during which the young person participating in the program can use the discounted rental right of the given property with his family or partner.
The aim of the Municipality is to have a housing contingent of suitable quality available for the start of the program. According to the proposal, the first round of bidding will be for 200 rental rights for new properties or properties built up to 5 years ago, with a floor area of between 30 and 50 square metres, with high energy efficiency and meeting certain minimum requirements(e.g. kitchen furniture, bathroom sanitary ware).
Vikotr Papp added that the funding of the programme stands on three legs. The subsidy provided by the local government is a third of the market price, and the remaining two-thirds is shared between the employer and the employee.
As for the role of the Cívis House PLC, the representative said that “the lease contracts are concluded by the company that manages the municipality’s real estate with the developers and owners, who make the property available to the programme. The company then concludes a sublease contract with the employer, into which the employer can eventually move, either alone or with his/her family”.
Regarding the timetable for the programme, Viktor Papp added that “the preparation and tendering processes will be launched in 2024, with tenders being invited from property developers and employers. And until the 2025 budget plan is prepared, consultation with workers will also take place. This will be conditional on how much of the planned housing quota will actually be available at that time.
In addition to this program, the faction leader emphasised that “tomorrow the owners’ committee will discuss the leasing of the city’s properties managed by Cívis Ház PLC, 40 of which provide housing with social assistance and 21 without social assistance, significantly below market rents for the Debrecen applicants.
In summary, Viktor Papp said that “the Főnix housing program is a significant help for young people who envision their future in Debrecen. Debrecen also guarantees a home, development and security through the program”.
Municipal representative György Korbeák said that “the economic development of the city and the region is also having an impact on everyday life, whether it is the development of green spaces or, as in this case, a housing programme for young people. The Főnix housing programme can also help young people to build their careers, since many new jobs are created in the city, and due to the solution to the housing issue, working young people will be able to focus more calmly on their career development.
He added that the Fidesz – KDNP faction fully supports the adoption of the programme.
Source: debrecen.hu
