Inventory of Good Practices in Local Housing Policy of V4 Countries

In the current period of dynamic changes in the economy and society, the topic of local housing policy is becoming increasingly important. The V4 countries are significantly affected by the consequences of the economic and energy crisis, facing high inflation, high interest rates and reduced performance of the construction sector. These aspects reflected in the unaffordability of housing, especially for the socially disadvantaged groups and the young generation entering the labor market. Statistics and documention are widly available from local archives to national and European wide statistics.

The project will collect local actions and strategies focusing on housing in any sense and will create a structured comparative inventory for Hungary, Czech Republic, and Poland. We are aware that housing is a vital and social need for private persons and the highest value’s good for most of the families, but simultaneously it’s a factor of economic growth, local economic development and workforce mobility but its structure, quality, availability, and affordability determine local competitiveness or wellbeing. In fact, housing sector developments are influenced by economic cycles and other macroeconomic development and different government levels intervene in it sometimes with different objectives. They should be harmonized in the framework of local housing strategy to enable effective policy, creating better local living conditions. By collecting special local solutions, and best practices we help local authorities to navigate in this complex area and find more effective tools.

Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary - LEADING PARTNER
WEB: https://geszk.kre.hu

Károli Gáspar University is the 9th biggest University in Hungary with close to 9000 students in 2023.
The GESZK (Faculty of Economics Health Sciences and Social Studies) faculty was founded in 2022 in base of existing specialities with the aim to reinforce those capabilities.
In 2023, GESZK started a new interdisciplinary housing research harmonising different fields: economy, social sciences, sociology law etc.
A product of which is a special Research Seminar where students did their own research on different aspects of housing problems (legal, public policy etc.). The idea of the present Visegrad Fund project on Local Housing Policies results from our faculty's special research project aiming at increasing knowledge on different aspects of housing related problems. Also workshops in social housing exist in KRE.

VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava
WEB: https://www.vsb.cz/en

VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava (VŠB-TUO) is KRE's long-term cooperation partner within the Erasmus+ programme.
VŠB-TUO is a university with a long tradition and strong background, it is a regional leader in the field of university education and an important stakeholder in the development of the region. Academics have long been involved in housing and housing policy issues.
The Department of Public Economics has traditionally been involved in public policy research. Due to its location, VŠB-TUO maintains numerous relations with Polish universities within the Erasmus+ programme and in recent years has implemented 2 major INTERREG projects CZ/PL in the field of student education with the University of Opole.

University of Opole Faculty of Economics
WEB: https://uni.opole.pl/en/

University of Opole (UO) was established in 1994. There are 9,000 students (2023) studying in 12 faculties. UO has a long and widespread cooperation with several universities from Europe within Erasmus+, Forthem Alliance.
In recent years UO has implemented INTERREG projects CZ/PL in the field of student education and strengthening cooperation of borderland institutions. It has specially strong cooperation with the Technical University of Ostrava.
By the initiative of the UO, the article of R. Kovács, E. Ardielli, D. Slavata M. Maciejasz on housing policies will be published as a direct precedent of this cooperation.

The project has been approved and supported with the grant of 9.997 EUR by the Visegrad Fund.
At the moment, the preparations of the contract with the Funder and those of starting the project are being made.

Kovács Róbert

Vice-Dean, Head of Institute
University Associate Professor
Institute of Economics and Management, Department of Economic Theory and Methodology
Faculty of Economics, Health Sciences and Social Studies of Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary