The measure will apply to housing association (KÜ) properties only.

The mayor said the project is a priority in the city's security plan, while the support aims to boost the operational continuity of buildings, thereby also strengthening community safety and crisis readiness.

It also follows new national legislation mandating shelters in new builds and developing those facilities in existing buildings.

The city government sent the crisis preparedness support measure for apartment associations to the city council for its approval. If it passes, the measure will allow housing associations to adapt shelter spaces and improve the continuity of their operations.

Ossinovski said: "The city government takes security seriously, and we have given this field entirely new momentum over the past year, investing more than €2 million into security this year."

"Creating shelter spaces in apartment buildings is a priority of the city's security plan, which is why nearly half of the planned funds will go toward financing this support measure. We hope for active applications from apartment associations, so we can provide our residents with the necessary sense of security," the mayor went on.

"The city is doing everything on its part to ensure that apartment associations have the necessary resources and clear support to improve crisis readiness and act promptly, hence the city covering 70 percent of the costs under this support – a significantly higher share than with usual measures directed at apartment associations," Ossinovski added.

The supplementary budget allocates over a million euros to help apartment associations improve crisis preparedness in 200 buildings, with the city government approving the related grant procedure on Tuesday. Each association is eligible to receive up to €7,000 for shelter adaptations, requiring 30 percent co-financing.

The support enables the reinforcement of basement rooms, organization of access routes, ceiling support, and the purchase of emergency supplies like power banks, radios, flashlights, water containers, and first-aid kits.

Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Kaarel Oja (SDE) filled in some more details. "Although at state level the obligation to create shelter spaces for apartment associations is still under planning, we are launching the support measure for apartment associations now already," adding that "We simply don't have time to wait anymore."

The support will allow shelter spaces to be created for an additional 22,000 people this year, he added.

We aim to start accepting applications within a month, and if we reach our target, by the end of the year there will be three times as many apartment buildings with shelter spaces in Tallinn as there are now," Oja continued.

To qualify for a grant an apartment association must be located within Tallinn city limits and have a net area of at least 1200 square meters. The amount will be paid out after the work is completed and reports have been submitted.

The new national Emergency Act mandates shelters in all new buildings from 2028, while existing ones must prepare sheltering plans or convert internal spaces.

Apartment basements must be made usable as shelters, though full-scale shelter construction in older buildings is not required. The shelters must meet specific safety criteria, including those on clean air, structural strength, and at least two exits, while extra work will be required on cluttered or dilapidated apartment space.

The law change means new build construction costs will rise by as much as 3 percent or more, meaning developers are expected to rush permit applications before the 2028 deadline, to beat the requirement, followed by a drop in new construction from that year onward, depending on the security situation.

Estonia lags far behind its northern neighbor, Finland, in civil defense shelters, which has shelter space for practically the entire populace – those in the rural vastness of Finland may not be included but on the other hand in Helsinki there is in fact spare capacity on shelter spaces.

In comparison, Estonia has shelter space for only around a fifth of the populace and often in inadequate or inaccessible space.

Some EU funding options exist for addressing the situation.

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