Left-Green Movement unveils housing and welfare proposals in Egilsstaðir ahead of Iceland’s parliamentary elections

The Left-Green Movement recently revealed its new policy proposals in housing and welfare at a supermarket in Egilsstaðir, ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. The announcement focused on efforts to combat rising interest rates, address the housing shortage, and improve conditions for the elderly.

The party’s plan aims to curb inflation and interest rates through better management of state finances, promoting fiscal discipline, and increasing revenue. Kristrún Frostadóttir, the party chair, emphasized that their approach would not involve raising taxes on ordinary working people, but rather closing tax loopholes that allow underreporting of income as capital gains, thereby reducing tax burdens.

In the housing sector, the party plans to reintegrate properties previously utilized as investment vehicles, such as those listed on platforms like Airbnb, back into regular use. This strategy would include legislative changes to ensure effective utilization of state-owned land and empower municipalities to adequately support infrastructure development.

Moreover, the Left-Green Movement aims to reduce the income gap between wages and pensions paid by the National Pension Fund. They propose increasing the tax-exempt income limit for pensions from 25,000 to 60,000 Icelandic krona. The party also seeks to address overall living costs in Iceland, concerning rent, loan payments, inflation, and food prices, as part of their comprehensive welfare strategy.