The town of Hlinsko in the Chrudim Region wants to have more public housing in the future. This year, it will begin the conversion of the former headquarters of ETA into an apartment building with 24 flats. Work could start in the autumn. This is the first project, with dozens more planned by the town hall, according to Mayor Miroslav Krčil (non-partisan with the support of ČSSD and 3PK).
“If we want to keep residents in the city, we have to offer them housing. Not everyone has the money to buy a plot of land and build a family house. Not everyone has the money to buy an apartment, and renting a city apartment may be a solution for them,” Krčil said.
Hlinsko owns around three hundred apartments. The town hall bought the building vacated by the ETA company for housing construction in 2021 for CZK 5 million excluding VAT. The town has a fresh building permit and is preparing a tender for a construction company. The building is three storeys high, with eight flats on each floor, mostly two-room flats.
“In Hlinsko we will implement affordable standard housing projects. These will be urban rental flats for Hlinka residents, for young people, for families. In short, for people from our region. This autumn, we would like to start the actual implementation of this first project and during this process we want to select future tenants,” said the mayor.
The cost will come from a tender, and in the past the town hall has estimated that the investment will cost between CZK 50 and 60 million. “We have a large plot of land around the building, we will separate the apartment building from the existing production area and integrate it into the housing estate,” Krčil said.
In addition, the city has larger plans to build 90 apartments in six condominiums. It is a site around Prošvicova Street, and there is a suitable area for construction near the heating plant. “There is a meadow there now. For now, we are thinking about making it a city project. We will see what financial instruments the Ministry of Regional Development will prepare. We are ready to implement the project within our means, even though it is a big project financially,” Krčil said.
Source: CTK
