DN Debate. Housing policy must be more stringent requirements on municipalities

Many have in recent years called for a broad bostadspolitisk agreement which takes an integrated approach across housing, rental market and bostadsbeskattning. In Januariöverenskommelsen between the social democrats, the green Party, the Centre party and the Liberals proposed mainly to freer rents shall be tested in production and that the interest rate on the deferral of capital gains tax should be removed.

the Parties need, however, agree also on the measures on construction and taxation. In addition, it would be good to a large political majority is behind the decisions. This means that even the Conservatives should be included in the settlement.

In the report ”the Proposal for a broad bostadspolitisk settlement” , which is published by the think tank Fores, I suggest the following steps:

1 the State needs to clarify what the municipalities ' duty to provide housing means. local authorities need to plan for a mixed construction, in more dimensions (owned dwellings and rented dwellings, easier and more luxurious, multi-family and single family homes). All municipalities must have in their bostadsförsörjningsprogram describe what they plan to do that, while lower income households may be able to find a home in the municipality.

This requirement will be monitored through the annual dialogues between the state and the municipality where the development in the municipalities is discussed. The state will help with infrastructure costs and ensure that their own processes, for example, in case of appeal, go faster. State aid, which the so-called kommunbonusen, shall be connected to the municipality building is mixed, and that there are cheaper homes on the market. State aid in the form of guarantees can be given to projects which contribute the mixed housing in locations where the economic margins are small. A developed cooperation between the municipality and the various local actors can facilitate the implementation of a more mixed construction.

Ränteavdragen should be tapered off gradually so that after five years is 20 percent instead of 30 percent. Property tax/real estate fee be increased incrementally over the five years from 7.800 to 11.000 sek per year for owned homes that are worth more than four million.

This is the largest gap in the januariöverenskommelsen. Simplifying rules, as amended rents and other measures do not provide much effect on the construction so long as the municipalities have lengthy processes, and designs for a bit of land. It must be clear that all the municipalities must take responsibility for the housing provision, and to that which is built must contribute to the reduction of segregation.

2 the rental market and the rental of owned homes are in need of reform. Countries that have adopted the freer rents have either done it in a recession with plenty of cheap housing, or the freer the calculation of rents is limited to apply only to homes constructed after the new law entered into force.

as in the Januariöverenskommelsen propose freer rents in the (future) new production is, therefore, logical. Because the rents in new housing starts already are high, there is little risk that these rents would be raised. The point of the freer the calculation of rents is that it gives landlords greater freedom to vary the calculation of rents in a house, and that in the future they can get a higher rent when an apartment becomes vacant if they built a good house and made sure that the house and surroundings are well-kept.

There should also be a limit for how much rents may be increased for the existing tenants of the newly built houses, for example, that the rent for a number of years to follow the rate of inflation and, even then, there is a limit for how big the rent increase may be. At the same time, the rental should be able to be completely free when a tenant moves, something that is lacking in Januariöverenskommelsen.

A large problem with today's hyresregler is that property owners can raise rents by around 50 percent when older houses are renovated up to the standard in the production. In addition to this can have a negative social impact it can make to property owners choosing to renovate earlier than what is socially justified. Our proposal is that, if tenants and landlords do not agree, the rent tribunal only approve the property owner's renoveringsförslag if the property owner offers the tenants a ”mini-options”, where the only technically justified measures to be implemented. The rent increase in this mini-options must be a maximum of 20 per cent.

It is important that at the side of the regulated rental market is a free market for the rental of owned homes. The rules for this need to be adjusted as it becomes clear that there is a market with free pricing. Consumer protection consists in that the tenant will always be able to terminate the contract at short notice. The lessor shall, however, be bound during the whole of the agreed period of the contract.

3 Ägarmarknadens recurrent property tax and interest deductions need to be reviewed. Ränteavdragen should be tapered off gradually so that after five years is 20 percent instead of 30 percent. Property tax/real estate fee be increased incrementally over the five years from 7.800 to 11.000 sek per year for owned homes that are worth more than four million.

the Tax rate for the condominiums increased from 1.300 to 2.500 sek per year, and to 4,000 sek per year if the property right is worth more than two million. Revaluations of property only takes place when there is a new owner, so no one should have to worry about increases in property taxes just for the house's market value rises.

In januariöverenskommelsen included the removal of the interest rate on the deferred capital gains tax. I mean you should go further and relax reavinstskatten to how long the holding period is. Today's tax of 22% is proposed to be lowered by 0.5 per cent per innehavsår, down to 10% after more than 20 years. Januariöverenskommelsen also contains a promise of a tax reform, which is to “improve the housing market functioning”. Our proposal can be an important part of such reform.

the Proposal in the report has been discussed with several of the parties ' housing policy spokespersons and representatives from trade associations. On the basis of these contacts, I estimate that there is a politically realistic proposal that should be accepted from right to left, from the Swedish union of tenants to the property owners.

It is important that people can get in on the ägarmarknaden. The obstacle today is not primarily the running costs for the owner without the down payment and to pass the banks ' ”left to live on-calculations”. The latter is often based on the interest rates around 6 percent. The report suggests a state interest-free bosparande where the saves four to five years will be qualified for the government guarantees loans up to 90 per cent. In order to get the guarantee to pass a ”left to live on the-calculus”, which is based on more realistic levels of interest rates than the banks use. A prerequisite for such guarantees, however, is that it is a first-time buyers, as thanks to the warranty can buy something in the cheaper segment of the town.

What is a fair taxation can be discussed. Today, however, it is so that when a household moves from a rental, take parts of their savings and borrowing a million and buy a property for the money, so pay the household after the move less tax than they did before. This is hardly reasonable.

• A-grounded proposal. the Proposal in the report has been discussed with several of the parties ' housing policy spokespersons and representatives from trade associations. On the basis of these contacts, I estimate that there is a politically realistic proposal that should be accepted from right to left, from the Swedish union of tenants to the property owners. The idea is that it should be a time-limited agreement of (at least) five years, and that the proposals are then evaluated and adjusted.

the Report deals with what can be seen as a more refined housing and social sustainability. Proposals can of course be combined both with environmental aspects (such as support to the solar cells in newly built areas) and with more refined social aspects (for example, amendments of housing assistance and housing allowance).

A broad agreement concerning the housing policy need to be deleted from the housing policy goals. The suggestions above should make it easier for lower income households to find a home on the market, more have the opportunity to take the step from rented housing to owned housing, and that it becomes a more level playing field between upplåtelseformerna.