Foundation stone for POS building with 10 apartments laid in Kumrovec

Today the foundation stone for the construction of a multiapartment building comprising 10 housing units, worth 1.8 million euro, was laid in the settlement of Kladnik. The ceremony was held as part of the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Branko Bačić to Kumrovec Municipality. Together with the Minister, the event was also attended by State Secretary Željko Uhlir, Director of APN Dragan Hristov, Kumrovec Municipality Prefect Robert Špajtl, Krapina-Zagorje County Prefect Željko Kolar and their associates.

“I am particularly pleased to be in Kumrovec today and to be able to attend the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of a multiapartment building for our fellow citizens. The interest is also present among citizens of neighbouring local self-government units, which indicates that such projects should continue,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Branko Bačić said.

Minister Bačić, Director of APN Dragan Hristov and Kumrovec Municipality Prefect Robert Špajtl signed the Charter on the laying of the foundation stone and the construction of a multiapartment building worth 1.8 million euro. Krapina-Zagorje County Prefect Željko Kolar also joined the ceremony, while parish priest Božo Belinić blessed the building and future residents.

County Prefect Kolar pointed out that affordable housing, along with demography, has been recognised as one of the key issues not only in Croatia but in the European Union as well.

“It is important to provide young people with affordable housing and keep them in our regions, whether urban or rural areas. The models can always be further developed because many people would prefer houses with backyards to apartments, but people should be offered both,” the County Prefect said and pointed out that the County will aim to participate in affordable housing projects and help in solving this important issue.

The multiapartment building in Kumrovec Municipality will be adapted to the terrain and organised in two cascading sections. It will include two floors, the ground floor and one upper floor, with 10 housing units and 10 parking spaces, Director of APN Hristov explained. The total net surface area will amount to 625.49 square metres, with apartments ranging from one-bedroom to three-and-a-half-bedroom apartments in order to satisfy the needs of different families.

“This investment is worth approximately 1.8 million euro. APN has conducted the public procurement procedure and ensured subsidies of 450,000 euro, while Kumrovec Municipality provided land and infrastructure with connections,” the Director said.

The Municipal Council of Kumrovec Municipality adopted the decision to co-finance the construction of said building to the amount of 479,285.36 euro, VAT included, which resulted in the sale price of the apartments of 2,104 euro per square metre. The contracted construction period is 365 days from the kick-off meeting, and the Municipality determined the final priority list.

“We have 18 young families who want to live in Kumrovec and purchase an apartment here. I am particularly pleased that these are not only people from Kumrovec but also from the surrounding areas, including Zabok, Zagreb County and the city of Zagreb. This means that we will not stop at this project and this building; we will continue to provide young families with affordable housing, together with the responsible ministry,” Municipality Prefect Špajtl said.

The contractor is ZP HARATOM from Stubičke Toplice, while expert supervision, consulting and coordination will be conducted by the Office of authorised civil engineer Franjo Dončić from Kumrovec.

Minister Bačić announced presenting the Affordable Housing Act

Tomorrow, on the premises of the National and University Library in Zagreb, the new Affordable Housing Act will be presented. According to Minister Bačić, this is “an umbrella document aimed to enhance affordable housing in Croatia.” As soon as next week, the Act should enter the Government’s procedure, followed by the first and second reading in the Croatian Parliament.

The new Affordable Housing Act will replace the existing state-subsidised housing construction. However, the Minister said, projects were initiated even before the adoption of a new act. Last year, the Act on State-Subsidised Housing Construction was amended, based on which today’s foundation stone is being laid.

At the end of last year, along with participation of local self-government units, foundation stones were laid for multiapartment buildings in Trogir, Novalja and Osijek, and at the end of January in Karlovac as well. These investments are worth 44.9 million euro, and they will result in 308 new housing units. The construction of buildings in Omišalj and Kostrena will soon begin, while public procurement is underway for around 200 apartments in Pula, Vrlika, Vrsar, Buje, Ivanić Grad, Virovitica and Našice. Over 500 apartments across Croatia are in different stages of preparation.

Active implementation of other housing policy measures

Minister Bačić also recalled other housing policy measures. The amendments to the Act on State-Subsidised Housing Construction enables a 50% tax refund when buying first residential real estate, for which over 4,100 applications have been submitted, and payments amount to 21.4 million euro. In addition, a public call is open until February 15 for owners of apartments that have been vacant for at least two years and who want to enter the affordable rental programme.

“The citizens can transfer offer apartments to APN, which will rent them on their behalf and to their benefit. The state will pay the owners 60% of planned resources upfront and the remaining 40% once half the contracted period has passed. We hope that through these measures we will help in providing our citizens in need with affordable housing,” the Minister sad, inviting local and regional self-government units to actively participate in resolving the affordable housing issue.

Through the subsidy programme for the purchase or the construction of first residential real estate in Krapina-Zagorje County, 33 subsidies amounting to more than 260,000 euro have been approved.

Expansion of the housing stock in Krapina-Zagorje County

Let us recall that so far APN has built 9,126 POS apartments - 89 of them in Krapina-Zagorje County: 16 in Konjščina, 22 in Krapina, 17 in Krapinske Tolice and 14 in Oroslavlje. Moreover, agreements have already been made with two local self-government units through a special programme for assisted areas, whereby the value of each project is estimated at 750,000 euro.

“Last year we contracted the construction of two multiapartment buildings, one in Zagorska Sela Municipality with six housing units and one in Lobor Municipality with additional six apartments. We are open to the possibility of building many more buildings in the county area,” the Minister said. Within this programme, 79 projects have been selected across Croatia, entailing the construction of 50 multiapartment buildings and 11 settlements with family houses.

The Minister said he expects that in March the Government will adopt the decision on selling the Kumrovec Memorial House, declared an object of strategic importance for the Republic of Croatia, and that the status of the former political school, a building near the new multiapartment building that could be used for affordable housing, will also be resolved.

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