EU SHAI publishes ''Local Housing Strategies Development Guidelines''

May 27, 2021

The aim of the publication ''Local Housing Strategy Development Guidelines'' is to provide local government units with practical instructions in the development of local housing strategies.

The guidelines are based on the normative framework that determines the obligation of local self-government units to develop local housing strategies (Law on Housing and Building Maintenance), as well as the content, structure and process of drafting public policy documents (Law on Planning System). The procedure is presented in accordance with the structure of the strategy and the action plan for its implementation and through a clear overview and description of the identified steps.

The guidelines are divided into five chapters:

Introduction
The normative and public-political framework of housing policy
Basic principles and principles of housing policy
Steps in developing a local housing strategy
Implementation and monitoring of local housing strategy

The publication also contains a proposal for the structure of the local housing strategy and the implementing action plan, as well as a list of valid regulations and public policies relevant to the development of the local housing strategy.

Download ''Local Housing Strategy Development Guidelines'' at THIS LINK or on the Downloads page.

One of the results of the EU Support to Social Housing and Active Inclusion (EU SHAI) programme is the improvement of the capacity of institutions, state bodies and organizations providing housing and active inclusion services for effective and gender responsible planning and implementation of housing programs, as well as the provision of appropriate support services.

At the local level, the EU SHAI programme contributes to strengthening the public policy, institutional and organizational framework, as well as improving networking and cooperation between different actors, with the aim of establishing initiatives to address housing issues and provide active inclusion measures for the most vulnerable groups.

Besides providing the LSGs with the Guidelines, technical support for up to 30 of them in the development/revision of local housing strategies and action plans will be provided through a combination of thematic workshops that will include a strong practical component, the provision of online support and on-the-job training. The process involves the establishment of a municipal multi-ministerial working group which, with the technical assistance of the Programme, will play a leading role in the development of local housing strategies. The involvement of actors from different sectors will enable complementary active inclusion measures to be considered in addition to housing solutions.

The process is designed to improve the capacity of local self-government units to identify and analyse the needs of the most vulnerable groups, with an emphasis on establishing mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the local housing strategy itself. The program will also ensure the harmonization of strategies with national and relevant international standards in the field of human rights protection, in particular the right to an adequate standard of living.

Five workshops for groups of six LSGs are planned to be organised within a year, which is an estimated time period needed for the development of local housing strategies.