Romania to Cut Down Payment for Young Homebuyers under Noua Casă

Noua Casa down payment young buyers Romania housing loan

The Romanian Parliament is considering a draft law to lower the minimum down‑payment for the state‑backed "Noua Casă" housing program for buyers under 35 years old. Currently the scheme requires a 5 % upfront payment for loans up to €70,000 and 15 % for amounts between €70,001 and €140,000. The proposal would extend the 5 % rate to the higher‑value loans, reducing the initial cash needed for a €140,000 home from roughly €21,000 to about €7,000 – a saving of around €14,000 for young families.

Lawmakers argue the change is needed because the housing market has shrunk by about 18 % while prices have risen over 15 % in recent months. Average mortgage amounts in major cities now exceed €70,000, making the 15 % down‑payment a significant barrier. The bill has already secured supportive opinions from the Economic and Social Council and the Legislative Council and is moving toward a parliamentary vote.

Entities: Economic and Social Council · Noua Casă program · Romania · Romanian Parliament · young homebuyers · young homebuyers under 35

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] The current Noua Casă rules require a 5 % down‑payment for loans up to €70,000 and 15 % for loans between €70,001 and €140,000. (Program regulations)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Romania's housing market has contracted by about 18 % while prices have risen by more than 15 % recently. (Housing market data cited in draft legislation)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The draft law has received favorable opinions from the Economic and Social Council and the Legislative Council. (Legislative process reports)
[● 2 SOURCES] A draft law proposes reducing the minimum down‑payment for the Noua Casă program for buyers under 35 from 15 % to 5 % on loans between €70,001 and €140,000. (Romanian Parliament draft)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Average mortgage loan amounts in major Romanian cities now exceed €70,000. (Statistical figures presented in the proposal)
[● 2 SOURCES] Reducing the down‑payment to 5 % would lower the initial cash needed for a €140,000 home from about €21,000 to roughly €7,000, saving approximately €14,000 for young buyers. (Calculation based on program amounts)