Responses to Housing Challenges - A State Perspective on The Case of Oslo
By Anne Ruden The Norwegian Housing Bank
The Norwegian Housing Bank 71°
Norway
The Norwegian Housing Bank 58° The Municipality of Oslo Department of Planning and Building The Oslofjord
The Norwegian Housing Bank The Municipality of Oslo Department of Planning and Building The City between the Fjord and the Forest
The Norwegian Housing Bank The Norwegian Housing Bank System of Government i Oslo
• Parliamentary system of government • Social policies and education fully decentralised • Implementation of housing policy mainly carried out by – the 25 (15) districts, – The Housing and Real Estate Office – The Planning and Building Authority
The Norwegian Housing Bank Prices of flats in Oslo, Rural Housing and Consumer Prices
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Blokk,Flats 75 75 m2 inkvm Oslo Oslo Enebolig,140 m2 in Hedmark 140 kvm Hedmark KPSCP
The Norwegian Housing Bank Annual new housing construction in Norway total and Oslo
Total Oslo 45000 5000 40000 4500 35000 4000 3500 30000 3000 25000 2500 20000 Hele landet 2000 15000 Oslo 1500 10000 1000 5000 500 0 0 1950- 1955- 1960- 1965- 1970- 1975- 1980- 1985- 1990- 1995- 54 59 64 69 74 79 84 89 94 99
The Norwegian Housing Bank Builders of new Housing Construction in Oslo
3000
2500
2000
1500
Andre 1000 Other CooperativtCo-operative 500
0 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74 1975-79 1980-84 1985-89 1990-94 1995-99
The Norwegian Housing Bank The Norwegian Housing Bank Housing ownership structure in Norway
80 70 60 50 Oslo pct. 40 Norway 30 20 10 0 Home ownership Private rental Public rental
The Norwegian Housing Bank Housing Subsidies in Scandinavian Countries Pct. of GNP 1999
0,8 0,7 0,6 Denmark 0,5 Sweden 0,4 Finland 0,3 Norway 0,2 0,1 0
Prod.subs
Hous.allowances
The Norwegian Housing Bank The main challenges
• Optimising existing resources: – More targeting of disadvantaged groups – Provide housing and follow up for people with complex problems – Acquire resources and flexibility to meet the needs of a changing market – Transparency in transfers and policy schemes
• How – More emphasis on planning and on documentation of needs – Increased delegation to the 25 (15) districts – More economised use of municipal housing – market pricing – Promote co-operation between sectors and region
The Norwegian Housing Bank Who needs housing assistance in Oslo?
17 % of 3 pct of total population households live in low-income 13% in short-term tenancy households 31% are homeless
8% need social welfare
57% live in inadequate 3% need housing housing assistance
The Norwegian Housing Bank New ambitions
“The Municipality shall play an active role to promote and facilitate build of 40 000 new, functionally and environmentally good housing units by 2015”
What types of housing units? 28 000 large projects 8 000 smaller projects 4 000 in densification
The Norwegian Housing Bank
And later?
Room for more;
• land reserves for – 29000 more housing units in new plots – 23 000 housing units in densification
The Norwegian Housing Bank Main Strategies
• Densification • Focus on main connection points for public transportation • Develop last “virginal” land areas • The “Fjord-city” developments
The Norwegian Housing Bank How?
• Better planning tools • Co-ordinated processes for planning and implementation • Deliberate use of municipal land • Planning deals as a housing policy measure
The Norwegian Housing Bank The Municipality of Oslo Department of Planning and Building
The Fjord City
1. Filipstad-Tjuvholmen
2. Pipervika
3. Akershus Castle
4. Bjørvika-Bispevika
5. Sørenga-Sjursøya The Norwegian Housing Bank The Municipality of Oslo Department of Planning and Building
1. Filipstad - Tjuvholmen
The Norwegian Housing Bank The Municipality of Oslo Department of Planning and Building
2. Pipervika
The Norwegian Housing Bank The Municipality of Oslo Department of Planning and Building
3. Akershus Castle
The Norwegian Housing Bank The Municipality of Oslo Department of Planning and Building
4. Bjørvika - Bispevika
The Norwegian Housing Bank The Municipality of Oslo Department of Planning and Building
5. Sørenga - Sjursøya
The Norwegian Housing Bank How to Increase Affordability
• Impact of a better balanced housing market
• Demand side measures
• Construction of low cost housing units; – Land priced at half market price, subsidies retained – State subsidies – Active land use policy /zoning and property management (carrots and sticks)
The Norwegian Housing Bank Planning deals as housing policy measures – used with caution To be used to stimulate housing development – not choke it A joint commitment between city and developer
• Developer: • Roads, water, basic green areas • Municipality: • Schools, primary health and social care • To be negotiated: • Borderline infrastructure; extensive developments
The Norwegian Housing Bank Other ways for a municipality to influence private developers • Take initiatives • Bring parties together • Active use of municipal property • Co-ordinate its own activities • Integrate new developments with urban renewal • Initiate pilot projects
The Norwegian Housing Bank Conclusion
• The market in need of better framework conditions to solve the housing needs of Oslo • The efficiency of a demand side subsidy depends on the response of the housing supply • Some supply side subsidies needed for new affordable housing • Affordable housing needs an active land policy
Housing policies depend on the underlying urban policies
The Norwegian Housing Bank