- It looks something more serious here than in the country at large. The housing shortage has caught on, says Christian Forssell, planning architect at the County Administrative Board in Kalmar.

The housing market analysis, which is based on the municipalities' own responses to the housing market in the municipality, shows that the housing shortage in the county mainly affects young people, new arrivals and people with disabilities and development assistance decisions. These groups find it difficult to get in and stay in the housing market.

- On the one hand, it has consequences at the individual level, to vulnerable groups that can go bad. In part, the housing shortage is a concern for the county as a whole when it comes to access to labor and mobility in the labor market, says Christian Forssell.

Mostly built in Kalmar town

Despite the fact that more than 30 years have been built in the county in recent years, the report shows that the newly built houses are concentrated in the urban areas. Kalmar Municipality alone accounts for 70 percent of the county's newly built housing during 2018.

In large parts of Kalmar County there are also no market conditions for new construction:

- If you build a home in, for example, Högsby, whether it is a villa or a multi-dwelling house, then the value of the home will be lower when you move in than the building cost, including land cost and building permits. This is a huge concern for Kalmar County and all other rural counties.

Custom housing is needed

But just as important as building more homes is that housing is adapted to the groups that are most in need of them, he says.

- It is therefore healthy that the discussion has recently turned from mostly about how many homes are being built to also about what is being built and for whom, says Christan Forssell.

The report, which is compiled every year, will now be sent to the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning, which in turn compiles a document for the government.