A coalition of mayors, mayoral candidates, and housing organizations is urging the Danish Parliament to address the pressing need for affordable housing in the Copenhagen metropolitan area. The “housing alliance” has presented ten proposals aimed at increasing the availability of affordable homes.

One key proposal is to allow municipalities to allocate a larger portion of new residential developments to public housing, increasing the current limit from 25% to 33%. Public housing in Denmark is managed by non-profit organizations, ensuring that rents remain lower than market rates.

Steen Christiansen, mayor of Albertslund Municipality, believes this measure would lead to more homes with cheaper rent, stating, “These public housing units have significantly lower rents than other rental properties, and therefore it is important that we have the tools to build more of them.” He anticipates that the market will adapt to the new regulations, despite initial concerns from private developers.

The alliance is also advocating for an increase in the maximum expenditure allowed for the construction of public housing units. Additionally, they propose establishing a support system for the construction of cooperative apartments, including a one-off state subsidy.

The group emphasizes the significance of their unified front, comprising 20 mayors and mayoral candidates, which they believe will resonate with lawmakers at Christiansborg. The initiative includes prominent figures such as Sisse Marie Welling (SF), Line Barford (EL), and Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil (S), all vying for the position of Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, alongside numerous Social Democratic mayors from Vestegnen and North Zealand. This collective effort comes ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for November 18th.