For good living in Bratislava, the City Rental Agency provides a home for the first families

Housing is fundamental. Having the opportunity to live with dignity is important for fulfilling one's potential and being able to contribute to society. However, obtaining affordable housing in our city is a major issue for many people and often an unattainable goal. Bratislava has adopted a number of measures to expand the city's rental housing capacity, to increase housing affordability and, as a result, to tackle the huge debt of the past. Most recently, the first families to get a new home are enjoying new housing thanks to the City Rental Agency, which has the potential to contribute to solving the housing crisis in Bratislava.

Bratislava has launched a number of projects to support housing, ranging from the reconstruction of neglected city flats, its own construction of rental flats, to changes to the zoning plan and setting new rules for association with developers; together, there is a need for the construction of up to 3,000 new flats, including rental flats. We are also improving the availability of housing for families and people in housing need in cooperation with flat-owners through the City Rental Agency, the activity of which is covered by the Bratislava Housing Organisation.

"We launched the proven concept of the City Rental Agency following the example set by Prague. I believe that, together with our own construction and cooperation with the private sector, we will gradually succeed in addressing the shortage of city flats and improving the availability of housing for vulnerable groups of Bratislava residents," says Lenka A. Plavuchová, Deputy Mayor.

Housing availability is not just a question of money. When demand is high, landlords make 'risk assessments' and people who, for example, have children, pets, medical disabilities, are elderly or belong to an ethnic minority often find themselves rejected from the commercial market. The City Rental Agency is an intermediary that seeks to combat such inequalities through certain guarantees. First and foremost, it offers landlords the security of a paid rent and provides tenants with housing support, mainly in the form of a social service. Bratislava was the first municipality in Slovakia to launch this innovative tool at the end of last year in association with its main partners, the Kooperativa Foundation and the Slovenská sporiteľna bank.

The City Rental Agency served the first four families during the months of April, May and June. Two of the flats are provided by the Dostupný domov company, a project of the Slovenská sporiteľna bank, and the other two flats are provided by the Bratislava Water Company. More flats are soon to be added to those currently occupied and by the end of this year a total of 12 flats could be occupied in total.

"Sometimes you do the best you can, but you still end up in a bad situation in life. Our Foundation is here to support those who need short-term help in order to get back on their feet and make a better life for themselves and their children. We are happy to be a stable partner and supporter of the project. In addition to the monthly rent, we direct our contributions to help with moving, basic home furnishings, as well as assistance in emergency situations," says Vladimír Bakeš, Chairman of the Board of the KOOPERATIVA Foundation and Chairman of the Board and CEO of KOOPERATIVA Insurance Company.  

"We have been working on affordable housing for people for a long time. In the past, we were the first bank to launch a social bond to fund affordable rental housing, which has already helped nearly 400 people to live decently. We have also been a part of the project with the City Rental Agency, and we are delighted that the support we provide in the form of housing and subsidised rent is improving the lives of families who are struggling to get out of difficult situations. As the largest bank and a responsible leader, we believe that housing is the foundation for a better future for people, as it helps them keep their jobs and maintain a standard of living and integrate into everyday life," says Juraj Barta, Board member of Slovenská sporitelna in charge of retail banking.  

"I am very happy that we have been able to contribute to a good cause in this way and stand by the launch of the City Rental Agency. The Bratislava Water Company (BVS) has reconstructed and rented to the Municipal Agency two flats that we owned but were in a state of disrepair. The first tenants are people who were in a difficult life-situation and needed help. We wish them well in their new homes," says BVS’s CEO Peter Olajoš.

At this stage of the project, households from the city's residential facilities, especially from the Fortuna and Kopčany dormitories, the Repuls Centre for Children and Family, and the city's crisis flats, can apply for flats in the City Rental Agency. We assume that in the next phases this will change, and we will be able to work with professional organisations or respond to suggestions from the public. Those seeking a flat will apply through the City Rental Agency and a social investigation will follow in association with the City Council's social support team.

Households are proposed for housing by an expert group consisting of employees of the Social Affairs Department at the City Hall, assessing the social, family, and financial situation of the household in housing need. A waiting list is then drawn up based on vulnerability and need.

The first experiences have proved the purpose of this important project, namely that early detection of a family or an individual in a crisis life-situation and the provision of a safe background can prevent deterioration of the life-situation (e.g., falling into homelessness, health problems, breakdown of family relationships or loss of a job). Families in flats provided by the City Rental Agency greatly appreciate the opportunity to live in a standard flat, at an affordable price and with a guaranteed fair treatment.

This is reflected in their responses:

"The flat is gorgeous and beyond our expectations. Tasteful, spacious, cosy.  Getting the flat means a new beginning for us. A new life... We have finally got a chance, which we will seize, and we will not disappoint your trust."   

"Getting a flat for us means stability and background at last. A sense of peace and security. Less stress. A place for us to enjoy, where we can relax, recharge and call home."    "It is not easy to buy an apartment on the commercial market because there you have to pay a deposit when renting and a security deposit at the same time, which is a lot of money for us, and we would not be able to afford it. Our young son would end up in a home and my husband and I would end up on the street somewhere, and nobody wanted that. Thank you so much for allowing us to live here. We are so glad we have a place to stay and that our son was not sent away. We are a family together. I'll never forget that moment when they wanted to take him away from us at birth, how I worried about what would happen to us if the crisis housing ran out, where to go. The flat is beautiful, cosy and most importantly I'm not scared of someone taking my love, my son, away from me."

None of the four households has a record of rent arrears or any other problems with use of the flat.

Laura Kovácsová, the City Rental Agency's coordinator, says: "We were very pleased to see how, after many years, vulnerable families are finally getting out of temporary accommodation and into stable housing, which is so important for everyone's life. But there are still hundreds of vulnerable families in our city who are unable to access stable and affordable housing. That's why in the coming months we will be offering the opportunity to provide our City Rental Agency with an apartment for rent to all the owners and landlords in Bratislava who would like to be a part of our project."     

The City Rental Agency operates as a platform for landlords who are willing to rent out their apartments to at-risk residents. These include single mothers, families with more children and lower incomes, or individuals with experience of housing need who have difficulty accessing the rental housing on offer in the mainstream. This autumn, the City Rental Agency plans to publish calls for participation for owners of flats in Bratislava who are interested in such cooperation. Thanks to the additional flats acquired, other families from hostels or crisis centres will be able to obtain stable housing, in which they are able to address their living situation and maintain their housing thanks to the social support provided. For socially responsible landlords, the City Rental Agency will ensure fair terms of payment in advance (even for longer periods), stability, reduced concern in management of the flat, and the irreplaceable feeling that renting their flat has a society-wide impact for the parents and their children.