Hina - Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Branko Bačić and Rijeka Mayor Iva Rinčić on Monday announced the possibility of the state and the city jointly providing housing units for affordable living in Rijeka.
Bačić said that the long-abandoned and neglected Croatian Railway (HŽ) high-rise in Rijeka could be renovated to provide housing for young people. He made the remarks after a meeting with Mayor Rinčić and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Prefect Ivica Lukanović, during which they also visited two renovated state apartments in the city.
They also discussed amendments to Rijeka’s spatial and general urban plans, aligning them with the new Spatial Planning Act and supporting the city’s plans to activate urban areas.
The HŽ building currently contains about 250 small units of roughly 12 square metres each. Renovation plans would reduce the number of units by half but make each apartment roughly twice as large. The project is in preparation.
Bačić noted that they also addressed Rijeka’s debt to the state of €3.2 million and discussed city-owned spaces that could be transferred to state ownership. Many of those spaces already host state institutions.
Mayor Rinčić emphasised continued collaboration between the city and state to address existing challenges, including affordable housing, urban space management and revitalisation, urban planning amendments, and the city’s outstanding debt to the state. She explained that the debt dates back to the 1990s and stems from rents collected by the city that were never paid to the state.
After meeting with Prefect Lukanović, Bačić said they also discussed property and legal matters regarding the county’s intervention services training centre in Šapjane, implementation of the Spatial Planning Act, local spatial plans, and simplifying permit procedures. They also discussed affordable housing projects, as upcoming legislation will allow counties to participate.
According to the ministry, the Državne nekretnine company is currently renovating around 300 state-owned apartments across Croatia, primarily intended for protected tenants and affordable rentals.
In Rijeka, 16 apartments have been renovated. In Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, 41 apartments are being renovated, 36 in Rijeka and five elsewhere in the county.
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