High energy prices particularly affect low-income families in poorly insulated homes. Emergency housing, cheap housing that people are forced to buy on the private market because they cannot find social housing or affordable rental housing, usually fall into this category.
With resources from the Emergency Purchase Fund, Demir wants to help owners to make these homes more energy-efficient. This is possible via an interest-free loan, of which they can postpone the monthly payment until they sell their home. There is a maximum term of 20 years for this deferment. After that, the loan must be paid off within a maximum of 25 years. The minister is making 36 million euros available for this.
In concrete terms, each CPAS in Flanders can apply for up to 1.8 million euros through the Emergency Purchase Fund until 15 November. After that, the PCSWs can offer interest-free loans of up to 60,000 euros to emergency buyers.
“With these extra resources we help the most vulnerable in our society”, Demir makes a strong point. The minister hopes that all PCSWs will sign up for the call. “Don’t leave the most vulnerable in your community out in the cold,” she urges. “We have resources to help them, make use of them.”