In Riga, the waiting list for municipal housing can stretch for years, yet some apartments remain empty during this time. The municipality explains this by the poor condition of the housing and a lack of funds for repairs.
In Riga, some municipal apartments remain vacant for three, four, and even five years, despite long waiting lists for housing. This was acknowledged by the director of the Housing and Environmental Department of the Riga City Council, Dace Ziediņa, during the broadcast of the program "Ziņu TOP. Rīga runā," reports nra.lv.
The issue was raised by a resident of the capital who pointed out the vacant apartments in Dreiliņi — on Dzilnas and Evalds Valters streets. According to her, the housing there has remained unoccupied for a long time, while many Riga residents have been waiting for years for the opportunity to receive a municipal apartment.
The municipality confirmed that such a situation indeed exists.
According to Dace Ziediņa, the problem is that after the previous tenants move out, some apartments are in such poor condition that they cannot be handed over to new tenants without major repairs.
"To be honest, these apartments can no longer be handed over to the next tenants," she admitted.
As explained by the department, many apartments require serious renovations — from repairing utilities to completely replacing interior finishes. This is why some housing remains idle for years.
To address the problem, the Riga City Council is attracting funding from European Union funds. Currently, some of the vacant apartments are already included in renovation programs, but the timelines for restoring the housing are not specified.
The situation is particularly sensitive against the backdrop of a shortage of affordable housing in the capital. Municipal apartments in Riga are in demand among low-income families, pensioners, people with disabilities, and residents who find themselves in crisis situations.
The issue of vacant apartments has once again raised the question of how effectively the city manages its housing stock — especially in conditions where the demand for municipal housing remains high.
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