Czech Regions Tackle Housing Shortage; Prague Risks Building Blockade

Experts gathered in Hradec Králové on 26 May to discuss housing affordability and construction development in the Hradec Králové region. Analytic firm CEEC Research highlighted the region’s diverse settlement structure and growing demand, stressing that coordinated public‑private cooperation is needed to stabilise the housing market. Participants, including Central Group, the Initiative for Affordable Housing and representatives of municipalities, developers and banks, examined design‑build methods and cooperative financing models such as cooperative housing presented by ČSOB.

In Prague, the capital ranked as the third‑most expensive European city for buying a home, policymakers face a looming construction deadlock. The long‑delayed Metropolitan Plan, in preparation for over 150,000 pending apartments, is set to expire at the end of 2028. Without a new plan, new building permits could stall, threatening not only housing but also schools, roads and other infrastructure. Česka spořitelna’s chairman warned that the lack of affordable housing undermines the financial stability of households and the city’s prosperity, urging the plan’s approval to unlock the necessary construction capacity.