Wolfgang Amann and Alexis Mundt
This paper aims to describe the outcome of a research program carried out by the Austrian IIBW to support the Romanian Government in redesigning its national housing law in order…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe the outcome of a research program carried out by the Austrian IIBW to support the Romanian Government in redesigning its national housing law in order to cope with specific problems on the Romanian housing market, such as the absence of tenure choice and affordable and tenure‐secure rental housing.
Design/methodology/approach
Specific housing problems and requirements of legal changes were identified by policy makers and in previous studies. Solutions are provided by an international team of experts with the target to include European best practice concerning rental and limited‐profit rental law.
Findings
This paper concentrates on three major topics within the restructuring of the Romanian housing law that permit integrating European best practice in the field of housing policy. First, Romanian rental housing legislation is reconsidered and a market‐based relative price control based on the German experience and on written contracts is proposed. Second, a new public‐private‐partnership (PPP) housing law, building on the framework of PPP social housing providers in Europe, and especially Austria, is considered. A rigid frame of checks and balances and public compensation of social service obligations are core elements. Third, special attention is paid to the compliance of proposed measures with European Union legislation on competition, which is of major importance for any legal recommendations to be applicable.
Practical implications
The proposed legal changes are designed to foster the development of a functional long‐term private and social rental market in order to meet the housing needs of the Romanian population.
Originality/value
The overarching research program this paper builds on was commissioned by the Romanian Government and was intended to address specific and current problems on the Romanian housing market.
Details
Keywords
Robert Wieser and Alexis Mundt
This paper aims to examine the main characteristics of the housing taxation and subsidy systems in six European Union countries. The structure of this support over the past two…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the main characteristics of the housing taxation and subsidy systems in six European Union countries. The structure of this support over the past two decades, before and after the global financial crisis has been investigated and its total effective dimensions have been approximated.
Design/methodology/approach
Official national data and existing literature on housing policy expenses have been analysed and the authors add their own estimations of missing data, where possible. Latest changes in housing policy guidelines and expenses were interpreted.
Findings
It was found that state support for housing is heavily underestimated by official data in most countries, mainly due to missing estimates for the value of imputed rents tax relief, reduced VAT rates and low real estate and capital gains taxation. Our estimates suggest that total public support for the housing sector reaches more than 3 per cent of the gross domestic product in three of the six countries, and about 2 per cent in the others. State support to the housing sector has developed quite differently in the investigated countries over the past decades. In particular, there was no universal downward trend.
Originality/value
This is the first attempt to provide a more comprehensive analysis of national housing policy expenses applying a very broad definition of state support for housing. In particular, we consider indirect tax advantages to the housing sector that are generally not taken into account. Furthermore, we apply a discounted present value approach of current housing policy expenses to facilitate international comparison.