Social Housing in Europe

What is social housing?

Municipal apartments let at a rent fixed by the state represent social housing in the country. After the privatisation of the housing stock, only 3% remained as public social housing, which is now let for rent to particularly disadvantaged groups. Besides social rental housing, subsidies to mortgage loans are also given by the state to disabled families, orphans, families raising more than three children, and young families.

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Who provides social housing?

Municipalities are the only providers of social housing in Lithuania.

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How is social housing financed?

The construction and management of publicly owned housing is entirely financed by public funds. In the past 90% of the cost was financed by the state budget and 10% by the municipality, but now the ratio has changed and the municipal share is becoming bigger. Rents in municipal social housing vary depending on location but on average they are lower than market rents are lower by tenfold.

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Who can access social housing?

Social housing tenants include disadvantaged groups such as orphans, disabled, invalid children, retired couples, young families and families with many children.

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Recent Developments

The development of the social housing stock using public and local government funds have been established as a priority, and the government aims at achieving a level where the rental housing share would account for 18% of the total housing stock in 2020 while in 2003 it accounted for only 10%, including social housing at 4-5%. This stock is being formed by purchasing low demand dwellings on the market and adapting them to social needs, as well as through new construction.