Martina Mikeszová : PHD DISSERTATION - HOUSING MARKET AND RISK OF HOMELESSNESS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC. ABSTRACT The PhD dissertation focuses on the theme of loss of permanent housing together with the problematic of housing affordability in the Czech Republic. In the first part, the objective is to identify the types of households potentially at risk of being unable to afford housing since 2000, and to trace the development of regional differences in the percentage of at-risk households in the Czech Republic. In the regard to the end of deregulation process in recent years, the analysis of housing (un)affordability of "market" rent housing shows the possible social consequences of the process. Owing to the absence of useful aggregate data on incomes and expenditures for different household types in the regions of the Czech Republic, the alternative data sources and the simulation methodology for measuring housing affordability which combines available regional wage statistics and data on market rents were used. The results indicate that the general risk of being unable to afford rental housing and regional differences in housing affordability are both decreasing. Not only the stagnation of market rent growth related to the growth of household income is behind the development. The main reason is the fact that...

Diploma thesis "Social Housing in the Czech republic - a story of one law" deals with an issue of attempting to adopt a law of social housing in the Czech Republic. The thesis is based on historical institutionalism approach that identifies institutions as the essential factors on development of an enviroment where the formulations of design of the social housing policy come from. The analytical part follows a pattern of social constructivism and applies the features of discoursive analysis. The conclusions drawn from the analysis indicate that there are two dominant discoursive frames which influence the public policy debates on how to deal with the problem of non-existence of social housing in the Czech Republic. One discoursive frame points out the liberal perspective which is based broadly speaking on economical calculus and importance of individual deservedness. The second - social - frame promotes the principles of social cohesion and solidarity with the most vulnerable groups in society. These perspectives influence the shapes of suggested policy arrangements that are presented as a solution of an inaccesability of housing for specific groups in society and most likely determine possible controversions in the future.

A questão habitacional vem ocupando, recentemente, lugar de destaque entre as políticas públicas prioritárias no país, configurando um movimento de revitalização - apoiado por um marco regulatório aprimorado e um ambiente macroeconômico favorável, além do restabelecimento da Política Nacional de Habitação (PNH) - que exibe vertiginoso crescimento do crédito habitacional na última década. O Sistema Brasileiro de Poupança e Empréstimo (SBPE) e o Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Serviço (FGTS), fontes arregimentadas para serem os pilares do Sistema Financeiro da Habitação (SFH), criado em 1964, ainda sustentam preponderantemente o crédito habitacional no Brasil e constituem, conjuntamente, a espinha dorsal de funding do atual Sistema Nacional de Habitação (SNH). Esta tese analisa essas duas fontes de captação de recursos a partir do pressuposto de que ambas devem ser dedicadas, de modo estratégico, ao financiamento habitacional. As justificativas residem, de um lado, na observação do potencial de captação dessas fontes - que acumulam R$ 685 bilhões (set./2012) - a taxas abaixo do \"livre mercado\" e, de outro, no reconhecimento de que há um segmento de famílias que possui condição de acessar crédito habitacional, desde que em condições especiais em relação às oferecidas pelo \"livre mercado\". A universalização do acesso à moradia digna, meta máxima estabelecida pela nova PNH, requer o atendimento a essas famílias. Dessa forma, este trabalho parte da hipótese de que o SFH, apesar de regulamentado, constituindo um circuito direcionado de crédito habitacional, não tem o seu potencial estratégico utilizado plenamente para realizar esse atendimento. Ou seja, o SFH não está aderente à atual Política. As análises confirmam a hipótese postulada: apesar de o SFH ser mantido sob regulamentação específica, preservando a vinculação de suas fontes ao crédito habitacional, tanto o SBPE quanto o FGTS vêm apresentando desempenho abaixo do seu potencial, comprometendo a necessária expansão downmarket. Se reformulada a regulação dessas fontes, essa expansão ganhará um ritmo muito mais adequado ao objetivo da universalização. Este trabalho abarcou, ainda, a revisão do desenho proposto para o SNH e considerações sobre limitações do financiamento e suas interfaces com o território. / The housing issue has recently been occupying center stage in Brazil\'s social policies, supported by the revamp of the country\'s Housing Finance System (SFH), favored by a refined regulatory framework, by income growth and a stable macroeconomic environment. The Brazilian Savings and Loan System (SBPE) and the Severance Indemnity Guarantee Fund (FGTS) instituted to be the pillars of the SFH, created in 1964, predominantly support, even today, the housing credit in Brazil and together constitute the backbone of funding for the new National Housing Policy (PNH), established in 2004. This paper attempts to analyze both the SBPE and the FGTS based on the assumption that they should be strategically targeted to expand housing finance downmarket. This depository-based system has accumulated assets of around BRL 685 billion (Sept/2012) and can offer below market interest rates, while a significant portion of families can only access housing finance in subsidized conditions. The main hypothesis that guides this analysis is that notwithstanding current regulations which still make the SFH an earmarked finance market, its funding is not being efficiently used to extend housing finance to those families. Thus, the SFH lacks better alignment with the present national housing policy and its main target of promoting universal access to \"decent homes\". The analyses undertaken confirm the postulated hypothesis: although the SFH has been kept under specific regulation, thus preserving its links to housing credit, both the SBPE and the FGTS have been underperforming in expanding mortgage finance to lower income groups. This paper also includes a critical overview of the design of the National Housing System and reflects on the limits of Brazil\'s finance system in reaching downmarket.

A questão habitacional vem ocupando, recentemente, lugar de destaque entre as políticas públicas prioritárias no país, configurando um movimento de revitalização - apoiado por um marco regulatório aprimorado e um ambiente macroeconômico favorável, além do restabelecimento da Política Nacional de Habitação (PNH) - que exibe vertiginoso crescimento do crédito habitacional na última década. O Sistema Brasileiro de Poupança e Empréstimo (SBPE) e o Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Serviço (FGTS), fontes arregimentadas para serem os pilares do Sistema Financeiro da Habitação (SFH), criado em 1964, ainda sustentam preponderantemente o crédito habitacional no Brasil e constituem, conjuntamente, a espinha dorsal de funding do atual Sistema Nacional de Habitação (SNH). Esta tese analisa essas duas fontes de captação de recursos a partir do pressuposto de que ambas devem ser dedicadas, de modo estratégico, ao financiamento habitacional. As justificativas residem, de um lado, na observação do potencial de captação dessas fontes - que acumulam R$ 685 bilhões (set./2012) - a taxas abaixo do \"livre mercado\" e, de outro, no reconhecimento de que há um segmento de famílias que possui condição de acessar crédito habitacional, desde que em condições especiais em relação às oferecidas pelo \"livre mercado\". A universalização do acesso à moradia digna, meta máxima estabelecida pela nova PNH, requer o atendimento a essas famílias. Dessa forma, este trabalho parte da hipótese de que o SFH, apesar de regulamentado, constituindo um circuito direcionado de crédito habitacional, não tem o seu potencial estratégico utilizado plenamente para realizar esse atendimento. Ou seja, o SFH não está aderente à atual Política. As análises confirmam a hipótese postulada: apesar de o SFH ser mantido sob regulamentação específica, preservando a vinculação de suas fontes ao crédito habitacional, tanto o SBPE quanto o FGTS vêm apresentando desempenho abaixo do seu potencial, comprometendo a necessária expansão downmarket. Se reformulada a regulação dessas fontes, essa expansão ganhará um ritmo muito mais adequado ao objetivo da universalização. Este trabalho abarcou, ainda, a revisão do desenho proposto para o SNH e considerações sobre limitações do financiamento e suas interfaces com o território. / The housing issue has recently been occupying center stage in Brazil\'s social policies, supported by the revamp of the country\'s Housing Finance System (SFH), favored by a refined regulatory framework, by income growth and a stable macroeconomic environment. The Brazilian Savings and Loan System (SBPE) and the Severance Indemnity Guarantee Fund (FGTS) instituted to be the pillars of the SFH, created in 1964, predominantly support, even today, the housing credit in Brazil and together constitute the backbone of funding for the new National Housing Policy (PNH), established in 2004. This paper attempts to analyze both the SBPE and the FGTS based on the assumption that they should be strategically targeted to expand housing finance downmarket. This depository-based system has accumulated assets of around BRL 685 billion (Sept/2012) and can offer below market interest rates, while a significant portion of families can only access housing finance in subsidized conditions. The main hypothesis that guides this analysis is that notwithstanding current regulations which still make the SFH an earmarked finance market, its funding is not being efficiently used to extend housing finance to those families. Thus, the SFH lacks better alignment with the present national housing policy and its main target of promoting universal access to \"decent homes\". The analyses undertaken confirm the postulated hypothesis: although the SFH has been kept under specific regulation, thus preserving its links to housing credit, both the SBPE and the FGTS have been underperforming in expanding mortgage finance to lower income groups. This paper also includes a critical overview of the design of the National Housing System and reflects on the limits of Brazil\'s finance system in reaching downmarket.