Last September, Environment Minister Ján Budaj presented subsidies for the renovation of old houses. He estimated that the first 4,000 applicants would have signed on by the end of the year.
This did not happen. The Slovak Environment Agency (SAŽP), which oversees the subsidy schemes, approved one application by the end of the year. The situation did not improve much after that, the pilot bids closing at the end of February.
According to experts, state administration and complicated conditions discourage house owners.
Unfulfilled expectations
By mid-2026, 30,000 houses in Slovakia will be renovated using subsidies. Half a billion euros from the EU recovery plan has been allocated for the purpose. Last autumn the SAŽP poured the first €30 million into two pilot bids.
While the first is intended for all applicants, the second with more favourable conditions is open to families with at least four children, or with a severely disabled child.
