The main objective is to ensure residents have suitable housing.
The City Council of Hafnarfjörður has approved a new housing plan on the state of housing in the municipality. The purpose of the plan is to present an overview of the state of housing in the municipality, analyse the supply and demand for different types of housing, and set out a plan for how the municipality intends to meet the housing needs of households. The main objective of the housing plan is to promote increased housing security for residents.
The City Council of Hafnarfjörður has approved a new housing plan on the state of housing in the municipality, which is valid until 2026. The purpose of the plan is to provide an overview of the state of housing in the municipality, analyse the supply and demand for different types of housing, and set out a plan for how the municipality intends to meet the housing needs of households in the short and long term. The main objective of the housing plan is to promote increased housing security for residents of the municipality. Since May 2016, a working group appointed by the municipal council has been working on the project, together with the family service and the planning officer.
See the City of Hafnarfjörður's housing plan 2019-2026
Key premises, conclusions, priorities and objectives in housing policy
Key underlying assumptions
The main assumptions underlying this analysis and plan are the current general and detailed plans for Hafnarfjörður, and an analysis of data from, among others, Statistics Iceland, the Housing Finance Fund, the National Registry of Iceland and the City of Hafnarfjörður. Generally, data from Hafnarfjörður is as of the end of June 2018. Following an analysis of the state of the housing market and the composition of the population in the municipality, the decision was made to make some of the information available on the municipality's website via a dashboard. The dashboard can be viewed on the town's website or Here
Rental market and property market
The average rent in Hafnarfjörður in 2017, based on registered tenancy agreements, was 2,158 kr. per m².2. The average rent has increased by 39% since 2013. The average rent for the council's social housing is around 1,130 kr. per m2 at the same time. According to the master plan and detailed plans, there is a plan to allocate plots for residential development for up to 4,950 homes by 2030. This development meets the expected housing demand, according to forecasts from Statistics Iceland, and exceeds it, provided that all plots are fully utilised for housing construction within the specified period. Assuming 2.9 residents per dwelling, there is the potential for up to 14,300 people to live in these homes. The estimated breakdown of these plots is that 73% will be for blocks of flats, 17% for terraced/semi-detached houses, and 10% for detached houses, with development to take place in Ásland, Skarðshlíð, Hamranes and Hraun. According to the master plan and detailed plans, the building period in Hraun is scheduled until 2035. The price per square metre for detached houses was an average of 346,000 kr. in 2017, and increased by 25% year-on-year. Overall, the price per square metre has increased by 52% since 2013. The price per square metre for flats was 401,000 kr. on average in 2017, an increase of 22% year-on-year. Overall, the price per square metre has increased by 68% since 2013.
The main objective is to ensure residents have suitable housing.
The main objective of the City of Hafnarfjörður in housing matters is to ensure that residents of the municipality have suitable housing. Emphasis is placed on residents having secure housing, whether or not they need support with their housing. A diverse range of options must be available to meet the needs of residents. Population trends in the municipality must be taken into account, and the supply of housing types and settlement options must be based on the development of the community and the housing market at any given time, such as regarding family sizes, age structure, the state of the construction market and economic developments. The Housing Plan for the City of Hafnarfjörður takes into account a diverse population and a health-promoting community, considering environmental perspectives and the municipality's unique character in terms of preserving its built-up areas and their interaction with its unspoilt natural environment. The main priorities for the next four years are:
- A contribution of 500 million króna per year is provided for investment in the social housing system for the years 2019 to 2022.
- A housing non-profit organisation (HSE) owned by the City of Hafnarfjörður has been established, which will build two six-flat blocks of flats for those who are below the income and asset thresholds in accordance with the Act on General Housing.
- A comprehensive strategy will be developed in consultation with service users regarding the future arrangements for the housing of disabled people in the municipality, including in-home services. Emphasis will be placed on a diverse range of housing options in consultation with service users.