2025-04-102024/25:CU13 · p.6CUCivil law & housing
Public municipal housing corporations
The business-principle requirement and protection of public housing companies
What's at stake: The decision affects tenants in the public housing stock and the ability to build and renovate rental housing at reasonable cost, as well as how much say the state should have over municipalities' ownership and sale of their housing companies. If the motions are rejected, this remains a municipal matter, with the current business-principle requirement unchanged.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether requirements on municipal public housing companies should be tightened — through a mandate for every municipality, removing the business-principle requirement and new limits on sell-offs — or whether current regulation and municipalities' own decision-making power are sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee points to an earlier inquiry showing that most municipalities already have a public housing company and that the law gives such companies room to combine business-like operation with a socially sustainable housing supply, with the inquiry finding no need to change the business-principle requirement or the rules on value transfers. The committee also maintains that it is municipalities themselves, not the state, that should decide on ownership and sale of municipal housing companies, and it therefore rejects all the motions calling for a mandatory company in every municipality, changed business-principle requirements, and new sale and permit rules.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 13 (V)
The reservation (V) calls for removing the requirement that public housing companies operate on business principles and instead having them governed by goals of social benefit, making it mandatory for every municipality to have at least one such company unless the need can be met through regional cooperation, and for investigating a long-term ban on sell-offs while requiring county administrative board approval for sales of municipally owned housing.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 13 by V.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/19/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | Yes 89/0/0/17 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| MP | No | Yes 13/0/0/5 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | Yes | Abstain 0/0/20/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| L | Yes | Yes 12/0/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 56/0/0/12 | follows the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| SD | Yes | Yes 62/0/0/10 | follows the plan | confidence: low | derived |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2024/25:1562 by Helena Lindahl and Daniel Bäckström (both C), 2024/25:1989 by Malcolm Momodou Jallow et al. (V) motions 14, 15, 17 and 19-22, and 2024/25:2470 by Kadir Kasirga et al. (S) motion 1.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:1562 av Helena Lindahl och Daniel Bäckström (båda C), 2024/25:1989 av Malcolm Momodou Jallow m.fl. (V) yrkandena 14, 15, 17 och 19-22 samt 2024/25:2470 av Kadir Kasirga m.fl. (S) yrkande 1.
Riksdag decision: Parliament rejected approximately 160 proposals on housing policy in motions from the general motion period 2024. The proposals deal with, among other things, measures on the housing market, financing of housing construction, housing construction during green industrial establishment, and circular economy in the construction and property sector. Parliament refers to, among other things, that work is already underway in many of the issues the proposals deal with.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to develop a national strategy to ensure everyone's right to housing at an affordable cost and to investigate a state-owned non-profit housing corporation. (V) — Reservation 13
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The party programme states that the collectively owned public housing company needs to be strengthened and primarily have social responsibility rather than be governed by business principles – exactly what the counter-proposal requires.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that the collectively owned public housing company needs to be strengthened and primarily have social responsibility rather than be governed by business principles – exactly what the counter-proposal requires. Making a public housing company mandatory and cutting back on privatised sales follows from the plan viewing collective ownership of housing and land as a strategic tool. The state must also take main responsibility for investments in rental housing.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att den gemensamt ägda Allmännyttan behöver stärkas och i första hand ha ett samhällsansvar i stället för att styras av affärsmässiga principer – exakt det motförslaget kräver. Att göra ett allmännyttigt bolag obligatoriskt och att strypa utförsäljningar följer av att planen ser det gemensamma ägandet av bostäder och mark som ett strategiskt verktyg. Staten ska dessutom ta huvudansvaret för investeringar i hyresbostäder.
- strengthened public housingdecisive»Den gemensamt ägda Allmännyttan behöver stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“The collectively owned public housing company needs to be strengthened.”
- social responsibility before commercial interests»ska i första hand ha ett samhällsansvar och inte styras av« (party programme ↗)“should primarily have social responsibility and not be governed by”
- collective ownership of housing»Det gemensamma ägandet av bostäder och mark ger starka verktyg« (party programme ↗)“Collective ownership of housing and land provides strong tools”
- state main responsibility for rental housing»Staten behöver ta huvudansvaret för att stärka« (party programme ↗)“The state needs to take main responsibility for strengthening”
The party programme establishes that strong public-benefit enterprises are necessary to keep housing costs down and counter segregation, and that housing is a social right.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that strong public-benefit enterprises are necessary to keep housing costs down and counter segregation, and that housing is a social right. A public-benefit mandate, governance based on social benefit and limitations on sell-offs follow from that line and from the manifesto's promise to continue building rental apartments ordinary people can afford. The plan does not comment on the business efficiency requirement in law, so the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att starka allmännyttiga företag är nödvändiga för att hålla nere boendekostnaderna och motverka segregation, och att bostaden är en social rättighet. Ett obligatorium för allmännytta, styrning efter social nytta och begränsningar av utförsäljningar följer av den linjen och av manifestets löfte att fortsätta bygga hyresrätter vanligt folk har råd med. Planen uttalar sig inte om affärsmässighetskravet i lag, så slutsatsen är härledd.
- strong public-benefit sectordecisive»Starka allmännyttiga och kooperativa företag är nödvändiga« (party programme ↗)“Strong public-benefit and cooperative enterprises are necessary”
- affordable rental apartments»Vi ska fortsätta att bygga hyresrätter som vanligt folk har råd att bo i« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We should continue to build rental apartments that ordinary people can afford to live in”
- mixed tenure forms»Segregationen bryts inte med särlösningar för resurssvaga. Boende- och upplåtelseformer ska vara blandade« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Segregation is not broken with special solutions for the resource-poor. Housing and tenure forms should be mixed”
- democracy's priority»Demokratin har därför företräde före marknaden« (party programme ↗)“Democracy therefore has priority before the market”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme sees the high conversion rate from rental to owner-occupied housing as a major problem, states that everyone has the right to housing and that housing policy shall counter segregation; the election manifesto wants to build more rental apartments with reasonable rents.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme sees the high conversion rate from rental to owner-occupied housing as a major problem, states that everyone has the right to housing and that housing policy shall counter segregation; the election manifesto wants to build more rental apartments with reasonable rents. This argues for strong public housing driven by social benefit rather than business considerations. The plan's decentralist principle however affects the committee's reasons about municipal self-determination.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet ser den höga ombildningstakten från hyresrätt till bostadsrätt som ett stort problem, slår fast att alla har rätt till en bostad och att bostadspolitiken ska motverka segregation; valmanifestet vill bygga fler hyresrätter med rimliga hyror. Det talar för en stark allmännytta styrd av social nytta snarare än av affärsmässighet. Planens decentralistiska princip berör dock utskottets skäl om kommunalt självbestämmande.
- protect the rental housing stockdecisive»Den höga ombildningstakten från hyresrätt till bostadsrätt i storstadsområdena har ställt till stora problem.« (party programme ↗)“The high conversion rate from rental to owner-occupied housing in major urban areas has caused major problems.”
- more rental apartments with reasonable rents»bygga fler klimatsmarta hyresrätter med rimliga hyror, utveckla och utöka investeringsstödet som gjorde det billigare att bygga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“build more climate-smart rental apartments with reasonable rents, develop and expand the investment support that made it cheaper to build”
- housing as right»Alla har rätt till en bostad.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has the right to housing.”
- municipal self-determination»Beslut bör tas så nära medborgarna som möjligt.« (party programme ↗)“Decisions should be made as close to citizens as possible.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan is built on the principle that decisions shall be made as close as possible to those affected and that power shall be decentralised, which makes the question of whether to own or sell a housing company a matter for the municipality itself.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan is built on the principle that decisions shall be made as close as possible to those affected and that power shall be decentralised, which makes the question of whether to own or sell a housing company a matter for the municipality itself. A state mandate, changed efficiency requirements and a ban on divestments with county administrative board permission are such planned economy instructions the plan rejects. The plan therefore speaks against the requirement.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger på att beslut ska fattas så nära de berörda som möjligt och att makten ska decentraliseras, vilket gör frågan om att äga eller sälja ett bostadsbolag till kommunens egen. Ett statligt obligatorium, ändrade affärsmässighetskrav och ett förbud mot utförsäljningar med länsstyrelsetillstånd är sådana planekonomiska pekpinnar planen avvisar. Planen talar därför emot kravet.
- decentralisationdecisive»Decentralisera mera. Människor ska få bestämma mer själva, och politiska beslut ska fattas nära dem som berörs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decentralise more. People shall have more say, and political decisions shall be made close to those affected.”
- municipal self-determination»beslut i första hand ska fattas av människor själva, eller så nära den enskilda människan som möjligt« (party programme ↗)“decisions should first be made by people themselves, or as close to the individual as possible”
- strong property rights»Äganderätten är central för ett samhälle där människor kan förverkliga sig själva och sina drömmar.« (party programme ↗)“Property rights are central to a society where people can realise themselves and their dreams.”
flags: citat_blockerat
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto assigns municipal housing companies the opposite task: that more rental apartments in vulnerable areas be converted to owner-occupied apartments so that more can own their housing.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto assigns municipal housing companies the opposite task: that more rental apartments in vulnerable areas be converted to owner-occupied apartments so that more can own their housing. A requirement, abolished business logic and a prohibition on sales go directly against that commitment. The plan also maintains that the state shall only conduct business activities if there is a strong public interest.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet ger de kommunala bostadsbolagen den motsatta uppgiften: att fler hyresrätter i utsatta områden omvandlas till bostadsrätter så att fler kan äga sitt boende. Ett obligatorium, slopad affärsmässighet och ett förbud mot försäljningar går rakt emot det åtagandet. Planen håller dessutom fast vid att det offentliga bara ska driva affärsverksamhet vid ett starkt samhällsintresse.
- conversion to owner-occupied apartmentsdecisive»Kommunala bostadsbolag ska både arbeta för att fler hyresrätter i utsatta områden omvandlas till bostadsrätter och för att få fler med egen försörjning och färre med försörjningsstöd att flytta till utsatta områden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Municipal housing companies shall work both to convert more rental apartments in vulnerable areas to owner-occupied apartments and to get more self-supporting and fewer subsidy-dependent to move to vulnerable areas.”
- restricted state business activities»Det offentliga ska endast driva affärsverksamhet om det finns ett starkt samhällsintresse.« (party programme ↗)“The state shall only conduct business activities if there is a strong public interest.”
- more shall own their housing»Därför måste vi också bygga bort utsattheten med tryggare kvarter där fler kan äga sitt boende och där fastighetsägare och det offentliga samarbetar långsiktigt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we must also build away vulnerability with safer neighborhoods where more can own their housing and where property owners and the state cooperate long-term.”
- market element in rent-setting»Fri hyressättning ska tillåtas i nybyggnation.« (party programme ↗)“Free rent-setting shall be allowed in new construction.”
The plan places the social responsibility for housing provision on the municipalities themselves and requires strong municipal self-governance, which speaks against a state obligation and against permission requirements for sales.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan places the social responsibility for housing provision on the municipalities themselves and requires strong municipal self-governance, which speaks against a state obligation and against permission requirements for sales. The economy shall according to the plan be based on a high degree of personal ownership and the right to property is a human right. A long-term sales ban and abolished business efficiency are therefore rejected.
Original (Swedish)
Planen lägger det sociala ansvaret för bostadsförsörjningen på kommunerna själva och kräver en stark kommunal självstyrelse, vilket talar mot ett statligt obligatorium och mot tillståndskrav vid försäljning. Ekonomin ska enligt planen bygga på en hög grad av personligt ägande och rätten till egendom är en mänsklig rättighet. Ett långsiktigt försäljningsförbud och slopad affärsmässighet avvisas därför.
- municipal housing responsibilitydecisive»Kommunerna ska ha det sociala ansvaret för att« (party programme ↗)“Municipalities shall have the social responsibility for”
- strong municipal self-governance»Den kommunala självstyrelsen ska vara stark« (party programme ↗)“Strong municipal self-governance shall be”
- property rights as human right»Rätten till egendom är en mänsklig rättighet och« (party programme ↗)“The right to property is a human right and”
- personal ownership»bygga på en hög grad av personligt ägande.« (party programme ↗)“based on a high degree of personal ownership.”
The counter-proposal requires that municipal housing companies become mandatory, governed for social utility rather than business profitability and that sales are prohibited.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal requires that municipal housing companies become mandatory, governed for social utility rather than business profitability and that sales are prohibited. The plan instead rests on strong property rights, market rents and that more housing is built through deregulation, not through expanded municipal ownership. For the state to prohibit municipalities from selling their companies contradicts the plan's view on ownership and on decisions close to citizens.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget kräver att kommunala bostadsbolag blir obligatoriska, styrs efter social nytta i stället för affärsmässighet och att utförsäljningar förbjuds. Planen bygger tvärtom på stark äganderätt, marknadsmässiga hyror och att fler bostäder byggs genom avreglering, inte genom utvidgat kommunalt ägande. Att staten skulle förbjuda kommuner att sälja sina bolag strider mot planens syn på ägande och på beslut nära medborgarna.
- market-adjusted rentsdecisive»Möjliggöra mer rättvisa hyror genom att potentiella hyresgästers värdering av boendet ges större vikt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Enable fairer rents by giving potential tenants' valuation of the dwelling greater weight”
- strong property protection»Där äganderätten undergrävs, där undergrävs alltid friheten.« (party programme ↗)“Where property rights are undermined, freedom is always undermined.”
- increased building through reforms»Vi vill genomföra reformer som ökar byggandet av såväl hyressom bostadsrätter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to carry out reforms that increase the building of both rental and owner-occupied housing.”
- deregulation over mandates»Avskaffa dagens strandskydd för att möjliggöra ökat byggande« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Abolish today's shoreline protection in order to enable increased building”
flags: citat_migrerat
The plan is built on municipal self-determination being a central part of democracy and that market economy and choice should be defended.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan is built on municipal self-determination being a central part of democracy and that market economy and choice should be defended. A mandate for every municipality to have a municipal housing company, removed business requirements and bans on sale go against this. The plan's own way to more housing is simplified rules and faster processes, not new state directives.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger på att det kommunala självbestämmandet är en central del av demokratin och att marknadsekonomi och valfrihet ska försvaras. Ett obligatorium för varje kommun att ha ett allmännyttigt bolag, slopade affärsmässighetskrav och förbud mot försäljning går emot detta. Planens egen väg till fler bostäder är förenklade regler och snabbare processer, inte nya statliga påbud.
- municipal self-governancedecisive»Vi betraktar det kommunala självbestämmandet som en central del av demokratin« (party programme ↗)“We regard municipal self-governance as a central part of democracy”
- protect market economy»Sverigedemokraterna ser att marknadsekonomi, valfrihet inom välfärden och internationell handel gynnar samhället och är viktigt att försvara« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Sweden Democrats see that market economy, choice within welfare and international trade benefit society and is important to defend”
- regulatory simplification over regulation»Sverigedemokraterna vill underlätta bostadsbyggande genom att förenkla och snabba på beslutsprocesser och se över de omfattande regelverk och krav som styr bostadsbyggande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Sweden Democrats want to facilitate housing construction by simplifying and speeding up decision-making processes and reviewing the extensive regulations and requirements that govern housing construction.”
- strengthened property rights»Förstärka grundlagens rättighetsskydd vad gäller yttrandefrihet, äganderätt och frihet från religion« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen Basic Law protection of fundamental rights regarding freedom of speech, property rights and freedom from religion”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:CU13)
- Committee report full text (HC01CU13)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1228 — Återbruk i byggsektorn av Larry Söder (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1311 — Äldres bostadsbehov av Katarina Luhr m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1315 — Stärkande av naturen i våra stadsmiljöer av Katarina Luhr m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1370 — Skog, skogsbruk och ekonomi av Martin Kinnunen m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1383 — Planering och byggande av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1386 — Inriktning för bostadspolitiken av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1485 — Fler och billigare studentbostäder av Amalia Rud Stenlöf och Adrian Magnusson (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:1487 — En bättre bostadspolitik för våldsutsatta kvinnor och barn av Aida Birinxhiku (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1513 — Investeringsstöd för bostadsbyggande av Malin Larsson och Peder Björk (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:1562 — En reformerad Allbolag av Helena Lindahl och Daniel Bäckström (båda C)
- Motion 2024/25:1575 — Säkra bostadsbyggandet av Åsa Karlsson och Björn Wiechel (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:1586 — Ett Sverige utan utsatta områden av Lawen Redar (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1587 — Ökning av allmännyttans andel av det totala bostadsbeståndet av Lawen Redar (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1651 — Upprustning av miljonprogrammet av Lawen Redar (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1700 — En politik för fler bostäder av Niklas Sigvardsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1753 — Rivning och återbruk inom byggsektorn av Katarina Luhr m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1807 — En modern bostadspolitik av Annika Strandhäll (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1989 — Hyresrätt och allmännytta av Malcolm Momodou Jallow m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:1992 — Bostadspolitik, planering och byggande av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:2015 — Ungas ställning på bostadsmarknaden av Adrian Magnusson m.fl. (S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament