1. MISSOC NETWORK MEETING Amsterdam, 6-7 June 2016
Overview of the descriptions of national systems of housing benefits Terry Ward, MISSOC Secretariat

2. Background
At last meeting in Luxembourg, agreed to provide overview of national systems of housing benefits - simplified questionnaire sent to all countries
All countries completed the questionnaire – but some answers incomplete or unclear – RO no information on first question, overview of benefits available

3. Overview of benefits available
Cash benefits or allowances to help cover rent, including rent deposit schemes, available in all countries except SK (and RO?)
fall within scope of social protection in most (19) of countries
fall outside scope in 11 countries:
AT BE HU IS IT LV LU PL CH NL UK
Rent controls, including preferential rent schemes for particular groups:
exist in 18 countries
within scope of social protection in 5 countries: BG HR EE LV LT
outside scope in 13 countries:
AT DK FI FR HU IT MT PL PT SK SE CH NL

4. Overview of the benefits available
Cash benefits or allowances to help cover mortgage payments
exist in 19 countries
within scope of social protection in 8 countries:
HR CY EE FI DE NO PT ES
outside scope in 11 countries:
AT BE HU IE IT LV LI LU MT CH UK
Tax concessions or allowances in respect of housing costs, especially mortgage interest payments
exist in 23 countries, in all apart from: HR CY EL HU LT MT SI NL
Provision of social housing
exists in 24 countries – in all except: HR CY CZ EL LI SE NL(?)
within scope of social protection in 8: DK EE FI DE LT NO SI ES
outside scope in other 16 countries

5. Overview of the benefits available
Other forms of benefits in kind (such as the provision of subsidised private accommodation for particular groups)
exist in 18 countries
within scope of social protection in 7: HR DK FI LT NO PT SI
outside scope in 11: AT BE BG EE HU IT LV LU MT SE CH
Allowances to cover the cost of energy consumed by households
exist in 21 countries
within scope of social protection in 15:
HR CZ DK EE DE IE LV LT LU MT NO PT SI ES SE
outside scope in 6: AT FR HU IT PL CH
Controls on the price of energy to households
exist in 11 countries – within scope of social protection in 2: SK SI
outside scope in 9: BE FR HU IT LV NO PL PT CH

6. Overview of the benefits available
Help for first-time home buyers, families with children or other groups to assist them to purchase houses or apartments
exists in 18 countries
within scope of social protection in 5: EE HU LT NO ES
outside scope in 13: BE FI FR EL IE IT LV LI LU MT PL PT SK
Grants to cover the cost of housing improvements to save on energy or the cost of solar panels to generate renewable energy
exist in 23 countries – all except: BG CY FI IS PT NL UK SI(?)
within scope of social protection in 2: EE LT
outside scope in other 21
Other housing benefits
exist in 12 countries - within scope of social protection in 2: LV LT
outside scope in 10: BE BG HR FI FR DE HU IE LI LU

7. Benefit arrangements
Under regional or local responsibility in most countries, but not fully
Partly under regional or local responsibility in some – either for some benefits or for administration of benefits only
Legal right to housing exists in a number of countries
in 3 countries seems to be universal right: HU LU PT
in 5 countries, right for vulnerable groups: BG FI FR IS ES
Housing benefits or allowances provided under separate scheme in 10 countries
BE DE EL IS LV LU PL RO CH NL
partly in 6: AT EE FI IE PT ES
mostly under minimum income in other countries

8. Summary
Some kinds of Housing benefit exist in all countries
In most countries some benefits are within scope of social protection
Most common benefits are:
Cash benefits or allowances to help cover rent (within scope of social protection in most countries)
Allowances to cover cost of energy (within scope of social protection in most countries)

9. OECD
OECD and European Commission currently gathering information on access to decent affordable housing and social policies for housing
New Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH 2016), based on earlier questionnaire in 2014, circulated recently to OECD countries. Will collect information on:
Subsidies to households to promote access to affordable home- ownership
Mortgage support and regulation
Tax relief for home owners
Measures supporting affordability and security of tenure in market rented sector
Subsidies for and provision of social rental housing
Cash benefits to households for rental costs and other housing costs
Subsidies to finance housing regeneration
Subsidies to finance development of new affordable housing

10. SPC
More consistent provision of information on housing policies and improved consistency between MISSOC and ESSPROS called for by Social Protection Committee at meeting in January

11. Thank you for your attention