Brno will offer shared housing for seniors, reducing their costs

Ing. Klára Liptáková (KDU-ČSL)

Brno - Brno will provide 11 seniors with the opportunity for shared housing on Zámečnická Street in the city center. For 6.6 million crowns, it will create one large apartment with nine rooms from part of the non-residential space. Interested parties will pay up to 2000 CZK per month for a room, including heating, said Deputy Mayor Klára Liptáková (KDU-ČSL) to reporters today. According to her, the project will reduce housing costs for the older generation and help the city find use for empty spaces and large apartments, which are difficult to rent due to high prices. Interested parties could move in later this year.

The council approved the selection of a company to carry out the work. The city will hand over the space to it in the coming weeks, and it should be completed within seven months. Therefore, interested parties could move in this autumn. The space, measuring 405 m², was previously used as offices. "One apartment with nine rooms will be created, with two double rooms and the rest single rooms," informed Liptáková.

The apartment will have a shared living area with a television corner, dining area, and kitchen, and shared sanitary facilities, with five toilets and three showers. There will also be storage space, a pantry, a laundry room, and a room for a caregiver who will come to help residents with various necessary tasks, such as cleaning.

"It is important that the rooms are occupied by self-sufficient people who cannot afford to maintain a large apartment after the loss of a partner, for example, or those with low income. Shared housing is also for those who are lonely and have severed social ties," said the deputy mayor.

According to her, a similar type of housing operates in countries such as Denmark, Austria, or the Netherlands. "According to our information, Brno is the first city in the Czech Republic to try this. We have identified three other locations where shared housing could be established. The city can utilize empty large apartments that are difficult to rent due to their high price. By converting them, we can create shared housing," added Liptáková.

The mayor's deputy pointed out that the population in Brno is aging, and therefore it is necessary for housing for seniors to increase. Deputy Mayor Matěj Hollan (ŽTB) emphasized that there are not enough capacities in Brno to meet the demand for senior housing. Brno has about 20 senior homes offering approximately 2000 beds. In addition, there are about fifty homes with caregiving services with a thousand apartments in Brno. However, hundreds of unsatisfied requests for placement in these facilities remain.