Hafnarfjörður residents oppose planned housing for foreign workers

Residents voiced strong opposition to a planned housing development for foreign workers in Hafnarfjörður at a packed public meeting, Morgunblaðið reported. About 2,800 people have signed a petition against the project, including around 2,500 people registered as residents of the town.

The town council held the meeting at the community hall in Haukahúsið. Davíð Freyr Karlsson, an Áshamar resident who organised the petition, said attendees made clear that they were unhappy with the plans. He said the meeting produced no decision, but that the council majority must have understood how contentious the proposal is.

Orri Björnsson, chair of Hafnarfjörður’s town council, said the meeting was well attended and included lively discussion and many questions. The town will review its agreement with property company Styrkás fasteignir and expects to make changes in response to residents’ comments.

Björnsson said the changes would likely clarify parts of the agreement that residents felt were unclear, including what would and would not be permitted. Revising the agreement could take several weeks, followed by months of detailed planning work.

Town councillor Einar G. Þorsteinsson of the Centre Party said attendees had expressed a range of objections, including opposition to developments of this kind and concerns from nearby residents who said they would not have bought homes in the neighbourhood had they known about the plans.

The Centre Party had been the only party to oppose the development until the previous day, when former mayor Valdimar Víðisson said on social media that he would pause and reassess his position.