“We need to get better at talking to each other," Mayor Sten Nordin today tells newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
“This is serious. A good situation in the housing market is crucial to the development of the city,” says Carin Jämtin, social democrat, and leader of the opposition in the city council.
The city representatives from both sides of the political division feels that the municipalities in the county has failed to co-operate with each other, when it comes to housing.
“We need more co-operation among the municipalities to cope with the situation," mayor Nordin, from the Moderate Party (conservative), says.
Opportunities to build more houses have not been fully exploited sine politicians from different local governments have not "talked to each other".
However, there are signs of improvement, for example the project to build 5,000 new homes in the new city district Hagastaden. A joint project between Stockholm and the suburban municipality of Solna, north of Stockholm.
“Construction must be done, in Stockholm but also throughout the county. We must see the housing market as a whole, across municipal boundaries. We must begin to plan housing provision together in a much more concrete way," Carin Jämtin says.
The Social Democrats, however, want more central planning on a regional level, in order to plan housing developments, while the Moderates rather think that the municipalities themselves should take voluntary steps.