Technical Condition of Soviet-Era Apartment Buildings, Related Problems and Possible Solutions in Latvia

More than half of Latvia’s population lives in Soviet-built, serial apartment blocks that have reached or are rapidly reaching the end of their useful life. The State Audit Office has acknowledged in its report that there is not an effective approach to housing security in the country, and the funds needed to renovate the buildings exceed the owners’ ability to pay. The main problems are the following: the actual technical condition of these buildings is unknown (technical studies are needed), there are no freely available management fee savings for residents to pay for fundamental studies and repairs or renovations, there is insufficient or difficult access to public support for improving energy efficiency and the overall technical condition of buildings. Apartment buildings are also one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (36 %), a problem which is relevant in the context of the national climate targets for 2023. In order to establish the actual technical condition of the buildings and to develop the most affordable improvement solutions, it is necessary to carry out a technical investigation for each of the apartment buildings, identifying the problems specific to each series and individual to each building, taking into account the different conditions to which the buildings are exposed in their daily operation. Such an approach would allow for the development of standard solutions to the problems specific to each series, saving resources and ensuring a higher quality of renovation works. The question remains how to address the financial support needed for comprehensive technical studies and the development of standard solutions. Is the technical condition of apartment buildings only a problem for residents (apartment owners), property managers, municipalities or the government?