Parliament constructing new housing for its members

New residences will allow MPs to stay in Copenhagen

More members of parliament who live outside of Zealand may soon be able to stay in central Copenhagen. Parliament plans to construct 40 new apartments to add to the 59 member homes already in use.

The flats would be built in a property near the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. The government’s building company, Freja Ejendomme, has bid 95 million kroner to purchase half of the building, which at one time was used by the national police force.

Parliament’s financial manager, Allan Blom, said that should the deal go through, the property would be divided into two separate buildings with a firewall constructed between the two sides.

“For practical reasons, parliament only wants responsibility for our half of the building,” Blom told the real estate magazine Licitationen.

The six-story building was originally constructed in 1926 as residential property, but has most recently been used as offices. The intention is that the 40 new 60sqm one-bedroom flats be ready for occupancy by August 2015.

Parliament first offered member housing to MPs in 2010 when it took over a building in Copenhagen and built 49 flats. The housing was part of a 2009 plan which allowed parliament to offer a place to stay for MPs who live outside of Copenhagen in lieu of an annual 73,223 kroner housing allowance. The housing allowance is on top of the MPs' current salary, which is over 650,000 kroner per year, according to parliament’s website.

Parliament currently owns ten other flats in two additional buildings which could be sold if the new property is built.

“It would be great to have everything located in two buildings rather than four,” said Blom.




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