Félagsbústaðir Social Housing

Félagsbústaðir ensures the supply of social rental housing in Reykjavík. Every district of the city has social housing intended for families and individuals below a certain property and income threshold, as well as rental units for the elderly and people with disabilities.

Félagsbústaðir Portfolio

As of September 2020, the Félagsbústaðir Social Housing portfolio consisted of 2,826 rental units. The rental housing owned by Félagsbústaðir is around 5% of residential housing in the city.

Asset Portfolio

Neighborhood Public rental dwellings Housing for disabled individuals Housing for homeless people Serviced apartment Other housing Total number of social housing rental units
Árbær 190 45 2 1 238
Breiðholt 593 30 1 65 1 690
Grafarholt-Úlfarsárdalur 144 23 167
Grafarvogur 231 50 26 307
Haaleiti-Bustadir 131 32 77 2 242
Hlíðar 94 46 34 11 185
Kjalarnes 4 4
Laugardalur 342 64 6 118 8 538
Miðborg 187 36 27 74 3 327
Vesturbær 119 8 1 128
Total 2035 334 37 368 52 2826

Number of Housing Units

In September 2020, Félagsbústaðir Social Housing owned a total of 2,826 rental units. There are 2,035 public social housing units, 334 apartments for people with disabilities, 37 apartments for homeless people with many and complex service needs, 368 apartments for the elderly, as well as 52 properties classified as other housing.

In addition, Félagsbústaðir manages the rental of 157 apartments owned by other parties. Of those, there are 58 public social housing units, 78 apartments for people with disabilities, and 21 serviced apartments for the elderly.

As shown in the attached table, the number of public social rental dwellings varies depending on the city's neighborhoods. In order to distribute them more equally, the increase should be focused on Vesturbær, Hlíðar, Grafarholt, Úlfarsárdalur, and Árbær.

2020–2025 Development Plan

According to an agreement on the issue made by the majority of the City Council and resolutions of the Welfare Council, the number of social housing units is expected to increase by about 600 units from 2018 through 2022. Those units comprise about 500 apartments for public social housing and 100 apartments for disabled people.

A total of 198 units were purchased in the first two years of the period. Félagsbústaðir expects to succeed in securing the 402 additional units required.

The number is expected to grow by 225 units in 2022 through 2025, for an annual average increase of 75 units. It is thus estimated that by the end of 2025 the number of units will be roughly 3,400.

Number of rental units owned by Félagsbústaðir and in the 2020-2025 Development Plan (missing chart)

The majority of purchased apartments are expected to be newly built units, purchased on the basis of the City's conditions for Félagsbústaðir to have the right to purchase 5% of apartments in new construction projects. Following a needs assessment, the majority of purchased apartments are expected to have 2 to 3 rooms (1 or 2 bedrooms).

One of the plan’s main prerequisites is for continued foundation capital provisions and access to favorable debt financing.