On the 10th of March 2023. a thematic session of the Committee for Family, Youth and Sports of the Croatian Parliament was held on the topic of “Youth and Solving the Housing Issues”, where Zlatko Stapić, Ph.D. a member of the Board of Directors of the Croatian Large Families Association, participated as a panelist.
Experts in demographics and youth, economists, representatives of the academic community, and civil society organizations interested in the topic spoke about this issue at the session.
Zlatko Stapić, Ph.D. a member of the Board of Directors of the Croatian Large Families Association “Obitelji 3Plus”, emphasized that the association advocates for:
- the introduction of a universal child allowance with progressive growth as the number of children in the family increases,
- part-time work with full pay,
- and subsidizing of kindergartens throughout Croatia.
He highlighted the importance of financing energy efficiency and energy costs, as nearly 65% of households in Croatia with more children spend more than 30% of their income on energy costs.
Zlatko Stapić, Ph.D. also emphasized the importance of subsidizing families, not just young people, and that the number of children should also be considered when awarding subsidies or certain benefits. He pointed out the problem of significant financial pressure on families with three or more children due to rising food prices, energy costs, and the cost of living in general.
He proposes reconsideration for tax exemptions of the first home purchase, and introduction of measures that favor an accelerated and inexpensive process of obtaining permits for the construction of family houses. And finally, he stated that families with three or more children are an equation with growth potential.
There were many other interesting pieces of information and materials presented at the session.
