Hina - Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Minister Branko Bačić said on Monday the Vjesnik tower in Zagreb should be fully demolished by 5 July, with asbestos to be removed from the 16th floor by the end of this month and an underpass on Slavonska Avenue to reopen to traffic by next Monday at the latest.
Removing the asbestos will not incur costs beyond those already included in the demolition price, he said.
The ministry does not yet know how much compensation it will receive from insurer Croatia Osiguranje, as this will be determined once the entire process is complete. The tower was damaged in a fire last November.
The minister also said that a public tender for the installation of lifts and refurbishment of building facades will be launched on Wednesday and run until 31 August.
The state plans to allocate 5 million euros this year to the two programmes, which it co-finances at 33%. Unlike the facade renovation scheme, local authorities are not required to contribute financially to lift installations, although 25 have already indicated they intend to do so, reducing costs for co-owners.
Buildings will score higher if local authorities participate in financing, as well as if they house larger numbers of people with disabilities, those over 65, pregnant women and children under seven.
Bačić said the law on the management and maintenance of buildings, which underpins the programmes, had faced considerable criticism, particularly from the opposition, and was challenged before the Constitutional Court, which ruled a few days ago that it is fully in line with the constitution.
He also said a public call for tenants would open on Wednesday and run until 15 May. A previous call for landlords, held from 15 December to 15 February, attracted 960 apartments and houses for affordable rent.
“After inspection by the state housing agency, of the 960 properties, 385 are ready for immediate occupancy, 90 are undergoing renovation, and 75 owners have requested contracts under which they must bring the property into usable condition within six months,” he said.
Most offers came from Zagreb (346), followed by Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Osijek-Baranja, Sisak-Moslavina and Zagreb counties. The average size is 64.5 square metres for apartments and 113 square metres for houses. Some 62% of property owners have signed lease agreements with the agency for periods of five to 10 years.
Under the affordable rent scheme, rent must not exceed 30% of a household’s monthly income after utility costs. The state will pay landlords the difference up to the median rent in the local authority where the property is located. The ministry estimates utility costs at 2.5 euros per square metre.
Average prices stand at around 2,580 euros per square metre in the City of Zagreb, excluding VAT, and about 2,300 euros nationwide.
Bačić added that 3,558 applications for first-home subsidies had been approved so far, with 27 million euros paid out.
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