insulation, water savings or new greenery.

Heimstaden promotes positive values, is

motivated to improve the high quality of our

real estate and locations wherever they are,

and we want all of these to contribute to

a better quality of life for our clients.

There are obvious efforts to make our

homes energy-efficient and climate-change

resistant. One of our most important projects,

therefore, is additional heat insulation of

entire blocks of flats, which includes 8,644

flats in prefab and 612 flats in brick blocks.

In 2020, we installed this insulation in 1,100

flats and, in implementing this project,

we annually decrease CO2 emissions by

1,794 tons. From 2021, we will be investing

350,000,000 CZK annually in order to

install heating insulation in up to 2,000 flats

every year. Another significant project in

ecological sustainability is represented in

104 new flats heated in a more ecological

way, as well as reduced water consumption

where economizers have been installed.

About 80,000 inhabitants

of the Moravian-Silesian Region live in

Heimstaden flats. How much social

responsibility does that mean?

Even though our company’s priority is to

maintain a high-quality portfolio of real estate,

to keep all legislation, to renew and improve

our property, we are also busy in other

initiatives beneficial to wider communities of

citizens in our region. The long-term project

Home with Us (S námi domů) supports

young people leaving foster homes and foster

care, starting independent lives by providing

them with homes on preferential terms and

with a social support service.

We run programmes for various client groups,

we are one of the greatest providers of rental

homes for those in need, we cooperate

with twenty non-profit organizations,

rank among the main partners of the Clean

Beskid (Čisté Beskydy) event, etc. We placed

second in the Governor of the MoravianSilesian Region in Social Responsibility

Awards for these activities.

Sweden and other countries in northern

Europe pay great attention to seniors.

Heimstaden has been a good example in

this aspect for many years.

Crucial services offered by Heimstaden

include Senior Assistant, which is suitable

for seniors and individuals with physical

challenges, limited in their power or ability

to look after their personal needs.

“

The key values

of Heimstaden include

care -- dare -- share.

”

The community centres Archa in Ostrava–

Poruba, Karviná and the Multigeneration

Centre Lučina in Havířov are very

well-received, as is the project Hello, You’re

Not Alone (Haló, nejste sami!), which

provides phone assistance from students

to seniors in the pandemic. Two blocks in

Havířov are being renovated to provide small,

barrier-free flats for seniors which include

services the seniors need. Demographic

studies show these services will be highly

sought after, however, the market does not

offer enough products of this kind.

The terms “care -- dare -- share” represent

the key values of the company. What is the

perspective here?

Besides the high-quality maintenance

and administration of our current flats,

Heimstaden is also developing the

vision of a growing portfolio and future

investments. In 2021, we want to spend

a total of 1.5 billion CZK on maintenance

and investments, which is twenty-five per

cent more than in 2020. The money will be

spent on heat insulation, garrets, renovations

in the locations V zahrádkách in Ostrava,

Kunčičky, Ostrava, Michálkovice and

Havířov-Šumbark. Our investment plan in

2021 covers over 300 entrances and over

5,000 homes. In 2021, we will be finishing

our strategy for housing colonies where

we own about a thousand houses to be

renewed.

A very important step to highlight in the

protection of the environment is the increase

of investments in heat insulation by fifty per

cent and speeding up that process. Within

five to seven years, we intend to eliminate

coal heating and considerably reduce

emissions of CO2. We want to offer our

clients attractive and modern homes, and

we want to protect the environment as well.

We mean to promote a good image

and competitiveness in the MoravianSilesian Region through our sponsorship

programmes. We want its people to live

happy lives here and to be happy when

coming back.

You are a Moravian-Silesian patriot. Where

in our region would you take foreign

visitors, and what would you recommend

to eat?

I would certainly invite them to the

mountains, either to my beloved Beskids,

the peaks of Lysá Hora or Radhošť, or to the

Jeseník Mountains. They could try traditional

goulash, sirloin with cream sauce, or

blueberry dumplings. I would love to show

them round the Lower Area of Vítkovice in

Ostrava to introduce them to the industrial

history of our region.

Thank you for the interview.

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