‘The number of applications for CSOK Plus has exceeded a thousand within just over a month from its introduction,’ Ágnes Hornung, State Secretary for Families at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation said at a press conference in Budapest on Tuesday.
‘Our nation’s foundation is the family, and therefore, we aim to contribute to the security of families in every aspect of life,’ Ágnes Hornung stated. She added that the government has been working since 2010 to contribute to the well-being of families in every life situation. She explained that as part of the complex family support system introduced, more than 30 measures have been implemented, and starting from January, CSOK Plus can be applied for, offering more significant support than ever before to those who decide to have children. ‘We are proud that despite the difficulties of recent times, we have managed to introduce a new measure that provides effective assistance to couples planning to have children in achieving their housing goals,’ the state secretary emphasized.
She continued by stating that in Hungary, people traditionally think in terms of owning their own homes, which not only provides predictability but also financial security for the next generation. She added: ‘The national government has always stood by families, and during its governance, it has paid particular attention to supporting and assisting families in achieving their housing goals.’ Hornung recalled that starting from 2015, they have developed a comprehensive system consisting of various elements, and with the introduction of CSOK, families’ housing dreams became a reality. Furthermore, the support system has been continuously developed, expanding the circle of applicants, increasing the amount of discounted loans, and easing administrative burdens over time. She added that alongside CSOK, the Village CSOK was launched in 2019, and in 2021, the homebuilding programme was initiated, which included, among other things, VAT benefits and exemption from fees for properties purchased with CSOK.
She said: ‘There is no doubt about the success of CSOK, as between July 2015 and the end of December 2023, almost 240,000 families received support totalling around 770 billion forints.’
The State Secretary also recalled that in 2023, the government decided to review and reshape the housing support system, and from 1 January 2024, the new form of support, CSOK Plus was introduced. Families can now access a state-supported loan with a maximum 3 per cent interest rate through CSOK Plus, with loan amounts ranging from 15 to 50 million forints depending on the number of existing and planned children. The loan can be used for purchasing the first joint home, moving to another property, or expanding the residential property. Additionally, properties purchased with the new support are exempt from fees, Ágnes Hornung noted. She underscored that there has been ‘intensive’ interest in CSOK Plus from the first day of its launch, leading to strong competition among banks for clients. According to preliminary data, the number of CSOK Plus loan applications exceeded a thousand in the first month, Hornung announced, adding that official data is expected to be reported in a few months.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/KIM/MTI
