Why Prague Lags Behind Europe in Affordable City Apartments
Prague has one of the lowest shares of municipal housing among Central European capitals, leaving affordable apartments increasingly out of reach for residents. According to a study by the Institute of Planning and Development of Prague (IPR), municipal apartments represent just 4.1% of the city’s total housing stock, with roughly 47 residents competing for each unit. The capital owns 29,836 apartments, a figure that has barely changed in recent years after decades of decline following post-1989 privatization. By comparison, Vienna controls 420,000 municipal apartments, and together with housing cooperatives, manages 42% of all homes in the city. Berlin has 370,000, while Warsaw manages 81,000. Even Brno, half the size of Prague, holds nearly the same number of city-owned apartments. Only Bratislava, with 1,870 units, ranks lower among neighboring capitals. Who Gets a Municipal Apartment? The Prague municipality directly manages about 7,250 units, which are primarily allocated to five groups: seniors, people with disabilities, households in social distress, young families, and workers in essential professions such as teachers, healthcare staff, police, and firefighters. A resolution passed two years ago set quotas: 10% reserved for seniors, 10% for people with disabilities, 20% for households in crisis, 15% for young families, and 35%...