High costs and few homes: Sweden is facing a housing crisis.
The issue engages and divides the Riksdag’s party leaders.
– Few even know who the housing minister is, so little does the government do, says Nooshi Dadgostar (V).
Housing construction has slowed down. 180 out of 290 municipalities sound the alarm about housing deficits, and it is higher costs and poorer private finances that are behind the deficit.
63,400 new homes are required per year to meet the housing supply, but this year only 27,000 housing construction will begin – and next year the figure is expected to be even lower.
One of the most important future questions for Sweden’s young people is precisely where they will live. On Tuesday evening, the problem was debated by the Riksdag’s party leaders.
“Symptomatic”
– What is very symptomatic, I think, is that I think many people who are watching this do not know who the housing minister is. This government has put so little into this. I don’t even know if everyone here knows who the housing minister is, says Nooshi Dadgostar (V).
The V leader is critical of the government’s work and believes that Sweden is now entering a deep construction collapse.
– And right now the government is removing the support that has existed for building new homes. You need to rethink that and go in with even greater investment support, says Dadgostar.
Strikes back
Ebba Busch (KD) hits back at the criticism.
– We can meet Nooshi Dadgostar’s somewhat unsightly ruling technique by telling us that Sweden’s housing minister is named Andreas Carlson. A good memorial is Carlson on the roof, Carlson with a roof over his head for our young people. He is now carrying out many important reforms, says Ebba Busch.
The KD leader highlights, among other things, the possibility of owner-occupied apartments and rent-to-own.
– Another important concrete measure is to bring common sense into the housing debate. It is not reasonable that 20 percent of a 19-year-old newly minted student’s home consists of the toilet. There are complicated building regulations that make it very expensive.
Invites Dadgostar for coffee
Housing Minister Andreas Carlson himself answers the V leader Twitter.
“Nooshi Dadgostar is hereby invited to a cup of coffee at the department. Then she will find out who is the housing minister in Sweden’s government.
The question is whether she can list everyone who was housing minister in the governments that her party supported… /Carlson on the roof”
Follow the party leader debate on TV4 and on TV4 Play.