The bill proposes, in accordance with the government program, that guarantee fees (0,5%) will be introduced in new state-subsidized interest-subsidy loans for rental apartments and interest-subsidy loans for right-of-occupancy apartments. Interest subsidized loans for rental apartments of special groups are limited to the exclusion of the guarantee fee. The guarantee fee would apply to new, basic improvement and acquisition loans. The construction industry RT does not support the introduction of a guarantee fee in ARA production. If it is decided to introduce a guarantee fee, its entry into force should at least be postponed.
The introduction of the guarantee fee will reduce the possibilities of ARA communities to start new housing projects. The timing of introducing the guarantee fee for state-subsidized rental housing production and ASO production is very bad considering the cyclical situation in housing construction.
Self-financed housing production is currently at a historically low level. In our opinion, there is no light in the sale of new apartments, and the housing market does not have the conditions to start new production even at the beginning of next year. For example, household mortgage lending remained at a historically low level in June, and home purchase intentions fell back to a dismal level in July. The beginning recovery of the general economic situation in Finland is not yet showing itself in the long term in construction, especially in housing construction.
In our opinion, the government's top-up guarantee is an important support in housing projects financed with interest subsidy and guarantee loans. A performance guarantee can play a decisive role in getting the construction or basic improvement project started and the lender granting the project the funding it requires. In particular, the guarantee claim has effects on the operations of small and medium-sized ARA communities.
The income of communities building Ara apartments consists of collected rents or user fees. If the guarantee fee cannot be included in the cost rent or usage fee, the 0,5 guarantee fee makes it difficult to start the construction of new apartments. If, contrary to our opinion, the guarantee fee is introduced, in our opinion, the guarantee fee should be included in the rents or usage fees, so that developers can cover the guarantee fee. In our opinion, the guarantee fee can be equated with to other financial costs of the projects.