Prague Key Worker Affordable Housing (DBČS)

Prague has long struggled to retain public-service workers — teachers, nurses, emergency responders and municipal administrators — as housing costs rose to among the highest in Central Europe. The Dostupné bydlení České spořitelny (DBČS) programme is a public-private response: Česká spořitelna created a dedicated affordable-housing subsidiary and secured a €60 million loan from the European Investment Bank (one-third of a €187.5 million total project) to finance 700+ new apartments across four Prague locations: Chodov, Harfa, Černý Most and a fourth site.

All apartments are let at approximately 20% below prevailing market rents, reserved exclusively for workers in eligible public-service occupations. The addressable pool is around 50,000 Prague public employees. All buildings are certified PENB A or B energy class, include green roofs and advanced rainwater systems, with completion scheduled for 2025–2026.

Prague city districts, notably Prague 9, signed memoranda of cooperation with DBČS to facilitate land access and permitting. The Czech Green Building Council recognised it as the first major affordable-housing project in the Czech Republic. The EIB involvement reflects a broader EU strategy to close the affordability gap that drives essential workers out of capital cities across Europe.

Read the full analysis: https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2025-220-eib-backs-prague-s-first-affordable-housing-project-for-public-service-employees