Prague Key Worker Affordable Housing (DBČS)

Prague's public-service workforce, including teachers, nurses and emergency responders, has faced housing-cost pressure that risks displacing them from the city. The Dostupné bydlení České spořitelny (DBČS) programme, led by Česká spořitelna together with the European Investment Bank and cooperating Prague city districts, was set up to address this by providing affordable rental housing reserved for eligible public employees.

To deliver rental housing priced roughly 20% below prevailing market rents for public-service workers, drawn from an eligible pool of about 50,000 employees.

Česká spořitelna established a dedicated affordable-housing subsidiary, financed in part by a €60 million EIB loan out of €187.5 million in total project funding, to deliver more than 700 apartments across four sites (Chodov, Harfa, Černý Most and one further location). The buildings meet PENB A or B energy certification and include green roofs and rainwater systems. Prague city districts, notably Prague 9, formalised cooperation through memoranda covering land access and permitting.

The programme has secured financing and delivery of more than 700 apartments at roughly 20% below market rent, with occupancy scheduled for 2025-2026; because construction is not yet complete, outcome data such as tenant retention is not yet available.

The Czech Green Building Council has recognised the programme as the first major affordable-housing project of its kind in the Czech Republic, and the EIB-backed, bank-subsidiary financing model is presented as a potential template for similar projects elsewhere in the EU.