City-wide

The Preschool Committee is proposed to approve Interim Report 2 for 2026 and forward it to the City Executive Board. The report follows up on operations, targets and finances for January–August; overall, progress is considered to be on track, with a projected surplus of SEK 10.5 million and a request for a budget adjustment of SEK 1.0 million. One exception is that the committee does not expect to be able to offer a position through the Stockholm Jobs programme during the year.

The Preschool Administration proposes that the Preschool Committee note the monthly report for July 2026. The forecast shows a surplus of SEK 7 million, mainly because fewer children and applications have reduced costs for additional support to independent preschools and substitute reimbursement; the number of Stockholm children in independent preschools is expected to be 17,240 instead of the budgeted 18,694.

The Department of Public Authorities will provide an oral briefing on assessments of negative consequences and religious elements. Tertial Report 2, which follows up on operations during the year’s second four-month period, will also be addressed.

The Board of Stockholm Stadshus AB adopted new guidelines on child health, children’s rights and gender equality through 2030, and directed the Group’s subsidiaries to adopt them as well. Skolfastigheter i Stockholm AB was also tasked with adopting a functional programme for preschool premises. The previous programmes on children’s rights and gender equality for 2018–2022 ceased to apply.

The board noted the City Executive Office’s risk reports without taking any further decision on the monthly report. In a separate statement, the Moderates, Liberals and Centre Party warned that the group’s external borrowing was approaching SEK 87 billion and that estimated interest costs exceeded SEK 3 billion; they called for lower debt and clearer investment priorities.

The City Council decided that the Social Services Committee will be responsible for Stockholm Municipality’s rent guarantees for families with children and approved new rules for administering the guarantees. The guarantee may cover six months’ rent over a two-year period for households that can afford the rent but otherwise have difficulty obtaining a first-hand lease, and the committee may update the rules when necessary.

The interpellation asks how Stockholm will introduce the government’s activity requirement for people receiving financial assistance from 1 July 2026. Around 3,800 people may be affected, approximately 2,400 of whom are not registered with Jobbtorg, and questions are raised about what activities will be offered, how they will lead to employment or education, and when activities should end if they do not work.

The interpellation addresses care and support for children and young people who cannot continue living at home. Andréa Hedin (M) asks, among other things, why Stockholm provides fewer interventions per child and more often uses open interventions than Gothenburg and Malmö, whether children with significant needs risk receiving too little support, and how the new Social Services Act may affect these interventions.

Jonas Naddebo (C) asks Traffic Mayor Lars Strömgren why it has become more difficult to establish new saunas and sauna rafts in Stockholm. The interpellation notes, among other things, that two out of three building permit applications for saunas since 2022 are reportedly rejected, and calls for simpler rules, clearer processes, and equal treatment of municipal, private, and nonprofit initiatives.

The matter is proposed to be noted with six consultation responses from Stockholm Stadshus AB. They address, among other things, preserving Hovet for ice hockey, making the city’s art collection more accessible, developing the city’s cultural strategy, creating temporary spaces for larger boules tournaments, and increasing cultural funding; proposed changes to traffic noise regulations affecting housing construction are also commented on.

The matter concerns a proposal for the group board to adopt several action plans for the City of Stockholm’s companies: an age-friendly city, as well as plans for the rights of national minorities and the Sámi, the rights of LGBTQI people, and Roma inclusion through 2030. The previous guidelines and programmes in these areas are proposed to cease to apply at the same time.

The City Council will consider a proposal from Johan Nilsson (M) to keep Stockholm’s municipal primary and upper-secondary schools locked to unauthorized persons around the clock. The City Executive Office and the Education Committee assess that locked schools could reduce theft and vandalism, but would not alone prevent serious acts of violence; they therefore propose further investigation, particularly since older locking and access-control systems need to be replaced and the investments could be substantial.

The interpellation concerns how the City of Stockholm should adapt school planning, housing construction, labour-market initiatives and finances to declining birth rates and an ageing population. Emilia Bjuggren responds that these trends are already reflected in the city’s budget and population forecasts, including by reducing staffing needs in preschools and strengthening elderly care; she also proposes measures to build more housing, improve the work environment and develop skills to make Stockholm attractive to families with children and workers.

The interpellation concerns how Stockholm plans to reduce distractions and create a better learning environment by introducing filters on students’ school computers and tablets. Education Mayor Emilia Bjuggren responds that restrictions on social media and other inappropriate websites are planned for the start of the autumn term in 2026; as a general rule, students should not be able to access social media during school hours, while the need for different rules in compulsory school and upper-secondary school, as well as possible round-the-clock blocking, is still being investigated.

The interpellation concerns how the City of Stockholm handled nearly 40,000 reports submitted through the Tyck till app during the snowfall in January, around 10,000 of which were closed without individual assessment. Traffic Mayor Lars Strömgren is expected to answer what lessons have been learned, whether Stockholmers are expected to lower their standards, and what those 10,000 reports actually concerned, particularly in terms of accessibility and safety.

Dennis Wedin (M) proposes that Stockholm measure and publish the ice thickness at popular locations such as Årstaviken and Riddarfjärden. Traffic Mayor Lars Strömgren (MP) responds that the city already provides information about ice safety, but advises against such measurements because ice conditions can change quickly and local measurements may create a false sense of security, especially where there is boat traffic, currents, and cracking.

Annika Elmlund (M) asks what requirements apply to cinemas receiving financial support from the City of Stockholm, in light of Cinema Zita’s position on the Israel–Palestine conflict. Councillor for Elderly Care and Culture Torun Boucher (V) replies that support is not provided to organisations that violate Swedish law or the city’s democratic conditions, but that cultural organisations may express political views under freedom of expression and the principle of arm’s-length distance; the city considers that Zita has not breached the requirements and proposes no changes to the guidelines.

The interpellation concerns how Skolsociala team plus (SST+) will help students with high levels of school absenteeism return to school. The pilot project in two districts produced positive results, but only 28 of 60 places were used, and coordination between schools and social services did not always work well. Social Affairs and Safety Councillor Alexander Ojanne responds that SST+ will be incorporated into a joint support model, with the pilot evaluated in summer 2026 before the approach can be expanded to more parts of Stockholm.

The interpellation concerns the debts of Stockholm’s three municipally owned housing companies—Stockholmshem, Familjebostäder and Svenska Bostäder—which are collectively reported to have debts of approximately SEK 36 billion. Housing Councillor Deniz Butros responds that the companies are financially strong, that new construction should cover its own costs, and that the city is planning for long-term sustainable management without selling or converting homes; Standard & Poor’s has also confirmed the city’s highest credit rating, AAA/A-1+, with a stable outlook.

The interpellation asks whether housing policy should be changed so that more Stockholm residents can move into detached houses and the city’s green spaces can be better protected. In her response, Housing Councillor Deniz Butros proposes that Stockholm should continue to develop with a mix of rental apartments, tenant-owned apartments and detached houses in all districts to reduce segregation, while also protecting more natural areas and keeping construction costs down.