Romanian Senate backs 5% down payment for under-35s on Noua Casă homes up to 140,000 euros

Senate votes for a lower down payment

The Romanian Senate adopted a bill on Monday, 26 October 2026, that would allow buyers under 35 to use the Noua Casă programme with a 5% minimum down payment on financing between 70,000 and 140,000 euros. The text passed with 102 votes in favour and one abstention. It amends Government Emergency Ordinance No. 60/2009, which governs the programme. The Senate is the first chamber to examine the bill, while the Chamber of Deputies makes the final decision. A PSD statement credits Investments and European Projects Minister Alexandru-Mihai Ghigiu with the initiative and says it would impose no direct cost on the state budget.

In favour102

Abstained1

In favour

102 votes

Abstained

1 votes

Data from the article text

How the down payment would change

Under the current rules, the programme requires a 5% minimum down payment for financing up to 70,000 euros and 15% for financing between 70,000 and 140,000 euros, with both thresholds expressed as equivalents in lei. The bill would give buyers who had not reached 35 by the date of the bilateral promise to sell the option, by derogation, of paying at least 5% even when the financing falls in the higher bracket. Because the choice is optional, older applicants or those who prefer the standard terms would still face the 15% rule. The articles describe the change as lowering the cash needed upfront rather than adding costs for the budget. The chart below sets out the minimum down payment figures stated in the reports.

Financing up to 70,000 euros, current5%

70,000 to 140,000 euros, current15%

70,000 to 140,000 euros, proposed for under-35s5%

Financing up to 70,000 euros, current

5 %

70,000 to 140,000 euros, current

15 %

70,000 to 140,000 euros, proposed for under-35s

5 %

Data from the article text

Party reactions

Senator Daniela Mihai of the PSD said the initiative supports access to housing on fair terms, helps young people form families and eases pressure on the rental market. She also argued that a similar support scheme was used under earlier PSD governments to provide service housing for doctors and teachers. She stressed long-term access for young people with stable incomes but little accumulated savings. She said:

“Facilitating access to a home for young people over the long term is important.”

AUR senator Cătălin Silegeanu welcomed the measure as support for young Romanians who leave the country because of low wages and hard working conditions. He warned, however, that few young people are looking at homes worth 80,000 to 100,000 euros, or even 140,000 euros, so the gain would mainly reach those who can already borrow for pricier properties. He added that the change would chiefly benefit estate agents, builders and notaries, who would gain a wider pool of clients. He called for a separate lending approach for lower-income buyers:

“The measure deserves support, but in the future we will have to think about the majority who need an entirely different lending system.”

What comes next

The bill now moves to the Chamber of Deputies, which holds the final decision. None of the reports gives a date for that debate, so the timing of a final vote is not yet known. Until the bill becomes law, the existing 15% threshold for loans between 70,000 and 140,000 euros stays in force. A separate PSD programme for 2026-2028 foresees a mechanism to finance social housing from European funds. It also includes a legal framework for housing cooperatives and public-private partnerships, with a pilot in at least three municipalities for young people, families with children and middle-income workers.