In Latvia, municipalities own about 66,000 apartments, of which more than 20,000 are unused. This is reported by LSM.lv. Formally, there is demand and waiting lists for municipal housing; however, a significant portion of the premises remains vacant.
A striking situation has developed in Stružāni, Rezekne Municipality. There are 60 vacant municipal apartments here - the highest number in the region. The municipality owns about 1,200 apartments, of which 150 are unoccupied.
The Executive Director of Rezekne Municipality, Erika Teirumnieka, notes that the problem is particularly acute in winter: the risers in the vacant apartments freeze, and the technical condition of the buildings gradually deteriorates.
"Two apartments could be occupied and lived in, but whoever moves in will have to do the repairs themselves," said Stružāni resident Anna.
According to the property manager and energy manager of the region, Oskars Babris, people on the waiting list often refuse the offered options, even if they are livable. Among the reasons are the lack of jobs and poor transportation links.
"There are even situations where apartments that are livable remain vacant: people on the waiting list refuse to go there," explained Babris.
Last year, 12 apartments were renovated in the region with funds from the European Union, and this year, another 12 social apartments are planned to be restored in one of the buildings in Stružāni.
The Ministry of Economics points out that there are no strict requirements for the maintenance of vacant apartments, and the costs of their upkeep often exceed the financial capabilities of municipalities. As part of a special support program, about 900 vacant apartments are planned to be renovated across the country this year.
