Housing policy challenges in Maribor: Administrative obstacles, finances and also administrative disputes

In Maribor, efforts to introduce cooperative housing models have encountered administrative hurdles, financial challenges and legal disputes. The initiative, led by the association Epeka, aimed to provide affordable living options for young families, offering an alternative to traditional ownership or rental models prevalent on the Slovenian market. Despite the vision of creating multiple such units, the reality has proven more complex, with bureaucratic delays and lengthy procedures complicating progress. The mayor of Maribor, Sascha Arsenovič, emphasized during a presentation of the cooperative housing project the importance of constructing new residential units. He noted that ensuring accessible housing is crucial, while also acknowledging that many young people are increasingly drawn to flexible living arrangements, such as cooperative housing. According to him, several similar initiatives exist within the city that aim to build housing in unconventional ways, although none have yet reached the stage of implementation. Earlier reports indicated that several projects in Maribor await approval from the Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Heritage Protection Agency of Slovenia, which prepares expert documentation for them. Arsenovič expressed hope that those responsible for public interest, particularly the Cultural Heritage Protection Agency, would recognize the need for housing as part of public welfare. He pointed out that approximately five hundred million euros of Slovenian capital is currently waiting for positive opinions and consensus to enable the construction of housing for all citizens. Regarding the project on Dvorakova Street, both Arsenovič and Barbara Vodan Jecelj, representative of the Public Housing Cooperative of Maribor, mentioned that the construction of affordable rental apartments for youth was planned to start this year or early next. However, Vodan Jecelj explained that the main issue was obtaining building permits. Although the permit had been issued and confirmed at the ministry level, an administrative dispute arose, halting the construction. The Public Housing Cooperative hopes that work will begin towards the end of this year or early next. Arsenovič further stated that the municipality recognizes the diversity of its residents' needs and varying views on how one should live. If such forms of housing prove successful within an organized system, the municipality would consider providing land that it still owns. His goal is to create conditions for young families and temporary workers, offering a different kind of housing than the modest conditions previously offered by private homes. Štefan Simončič, president of Epeka, acknowledged during the presentation of the cooperative housing unit that they had intended to organize sixteen such units. However, due to financial difficulties, this goal could not be achieved. The association had planned to purchase the entire building from the Republic of Slovenia, but faced bureaucratic obstacles. They had hoped for support from the Ministry of Social Solidarity and also anticipated greater involvement from the public-private partnership sector. According to Simončič, the state should engage more in shaping these thinking processes to allow co-op members to become de facto owners of the housing units. This, he argued, would improve relations between property owners and the state. Slovenia lags behind in this area, as both private investors and banks fail to understand the concept of cooperative housing. Additionally, the municipality is not prepared to offer land for such initiatives.