Lithuania to develop long-term housing accessibility strategy

Lithuania's Minister of Environment, Ieva Andriulaitytė, has announced plans to develop a long-term housing accessibility strategy. The goal is to address issues regarding housing supply, affordability, and quality by the upcoming spring session of the Seimas.

According to the Minister, the challenges vary by region: large cities primarily face affordability issues, while smaller municipalities struggle with a lack of supply or poor housing quality. The strategy aims to support three target groups: middle-to-low income earners ineligible for social aid, vulnerable households receiving social support, and residents living in aging, energy-inefficient homes.

The Ministry of Environment has proposed the formation of an inter-institutional working group to analyze implementation options. A key component of the plan involves increasing municipal involvement to create a housing segment positioned between social housing and market-rate rentals, as subsidies alone are deemed insufficient to solve the problem.