Latvia short on funding to dispose of asbestos roof slate

Roofs covered with asbestos-containing slate remain widespread in Latvia. The material was once popular as a durable and affordable roofing option, but in many cases its service life has already ended or is coming to a close. Since asbestos is considered hazardous to health, the question of how to safely remove and dispose of such roofing has become increasingly pressing.

Support available for several years

For several years, large families holding a Latvian Certificate of Honour have been able to access state support for removing asbestos slate and disposing of it at waste landfills. The support is intended to help cover the costs of safely eliminating this hazardous material.

Demand outpaces available funding

According to Latvian Television, demand for this support significantly exceeds the funding allocated to it. As a result, only about 250 to 300 households manage to receive help each year — a small fraction of all the homes that still have asbestos slate roofs. This means most residents wishing to get rid of their outdated and potentially hazardous roofing currently have no way to obtain state support for the purpose.