European Parliament delegation led by Vaidere MEP arrives in Riga on housing and security issues

Today, 20 July, a European Parliament delegation led by Inese Vaidere MEP arrives in Riga to assess housing policy and housing affordability in Latvia, housing finance, as well as regional and security challenges in this area. The delegation of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis (HOUS) also includes Members from France, Austria and Croatia.

“Housing is not only the foundation of a family. It is a prerequisite for economic development and, increasingly, also a matter of security. If Latvia’s regions and eastern border areas continue to lose population and if families cannot afford housing there, this will, in the long term, affect the development and security of the entire country and the European Union,” emphasised Inese Vaidere MEP, member of the EP committee.

“While in Southern Europe, short-term rental housing is putting pressure on the long-term rental market, and in Central Europe it is a housing shortage, the challenges in the Baltic states are different, including residential buildings constructed during the Soviet occupation that do not meet quality standards. People are particularly concerned about the high cost of rental apartments and the fact that it is difficult for young people to buy their first home - bank requirements are too high. For seniors and families, heating bills in uninsulated buildings are a heavy burden, while regions often lack funding. These problems require an urgent solution at the national level,” the Inese Vaidere noted.

“Although housing policy falls within the competence of each EU member state, at European level we help coordinate and identify best practices, conduct research and develop proposals for the necessary regulatory framework. Bureaucracy must be reduced by reviewing regulations that directly affect the housing sector,” explained Vaidere, who is the only Latvian Member serving on this committee.

“I invited my colleagues from the European Parliament to brief them with the situation in Latvia. We face challenges that must be addressed, but we also have examples from which other countries can learn, such as the digitalisation of certain processes. The interests and challenges of our region must certainly be taken into account, as we are located at the external border of the EU,” she added.

The visit to Riga is scheduled for two days, 20 - 21 July. During the visit, meetings are planned with representatives of the Riga City Council and the Ministry of Economics, the state development finance institution “Altum”, the Riga Energy Agency, as well as NGO’s and several sector experts. Following this, the MEPs, led by Inese Vaidere, will travel to Finland for a two-day visit.