SUBSIDIZING HOUSING EXPENSES AS AN INSTRUMENT OF SOCIAL HOUSING POLICY

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of housing demand and housing policy, the latter seen as all actions carried out by state and local government institutions, using legal and financial instruments, in order to improve the housing situation. The principal objective of the implemented housing policy is to supply the whole population (households) with adquate quality and size
homes, located in friendly environment and either purchased or rented at low cost. Support instruments are addressed to households having first categorized the housing needs. In order to prevent housing marginalization, households with the lowest incomes are offered social housing aid, which most often equates redistribution of incomes so as to support consumption of housing services among less wealthy groups of the general population. Social help related to housing is
coupled with other actions conducted within the social aid system and the legal protection of tenants. The housing benefit is one of the more broadly applied social housing aid tools.