By: Luka Simonič
When I think about my future, I keep coming back to the question of where and how I will live. An apartment is not something I want because it is trendy or because it would bring me status. I want it because I need a safe space where I can truly live – not just survive.
But the reality for young people in Slovenia is very different. We live in a time when real estate prices are reaching record highs, rents are extortionate, and the conditions for getting a loan are often set in a way that makes it feel like banks do not want young people at all. I feel like no matter how hard I try, how much I save, or how carefully I plan, I just cannot keep up with a system that seems increasingly out of reach.
What hurts even more is knowing I am not alone in this. So many friends and acquaintances around me are asking the same question: “When will I be able to afford to live on my own?” According to Eurostat, Slovenians move out on average at the age of 29, and when I look around, I see exactly why. Young people often have fixed-term contracts, no clear timeline for building a stable career, and definitely not the kind of stability banks are looking for when granting loans. The rental market offers little – and that at steep prices, with no security, no predictability, and no long-term perspective.
Many of us also want to live outside the cities. I have long imagined a life in a house with a garden, somewhere in a smaller town, where there is enough space for peace, family, and a future. But once you start looking into the possibilities, reality hits hard: in those areas, rental housing is often non-existent, plots of land are unregulated, infrastructure is lacking, and municipalities do not have the funds for development. In Slovenia, there are more than 150,000 empty housing units, mostly in rural areas, but many of these properties are in such poor condition that renovation is nearly impossible – at least for someone just starting out. Renovating an 80-square-meter apartment can cost over 50,000 euros – and that is without all the extra expenses that come with protected heritage buildings. In those cases, requirements are even stricter, materials more expensive, and municipal support is usually absent.
I cannot shake the feeling that the state is leaving us to face all this alone. I often hear promises, but I rarely see action. What I do know is that we need more than the occasional subsidy or public tender. We need a long-term, comprehensive housing policy that understands our hopes and our real circumstances. When I read the proposals offered by the Slovenian Democratic Party, for the first time in a long while, I feel like someone is actually hearing what young people have been saying for years. Higher loan guarantee schemes, fixed interest rates, special programmes for young families, simplified construction procedures, subsidies for the renovation of abandoned homes, and tax breaks for landlords – these are not just words, but concrete measures that could genuinely change the situation.
I also strongly support the idea of waiving utility fees and offering VAT refunds for first-time home buyers. That is the kind of help that could really bring young people under a roof of their own. I also think it makes sense to reserve a portion of public rental housing for young people – as a transitional step until we can establish more permanent solutions. It is not right that we are forced to live with our parents or enter rental agreements that leave us insecure and vulnerable.
More and more, I hear my peers talking about moving abroad – not because they want to, but because they feel seen, heard, and respected elsewhere. But I do not want to leave. I want to stay here, build here, and create here. But for that, I need something that should be fundamental: a home. And even though it feels out of reach today, I still believe that with the right solutions, it can become a reality. I just wish the state would finally hear me.
