Category: Housing publications

ERGO Network launches its research report on Roma access to quality and affordable housing

The European Roma Grassroots Organisations (ERGO) Network held its annual Policy Conference on 28 November, entitled “Implementing the EU Roma Strategic Framework. Roma access to quality and affordable housing.” Many Roma still live in informal settlements and segregated neighbourhoods, in inadequate dwellings and disastrous living conditions, with severe environmental consequences. Unable to meet ever-rising housing costs or to prove legal ownership of their home, they endure forced evictions, homelessness, and antigypsyism from local authorities, landlords, and neighbours.

The EU Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion, and Participation 2020 – 2030 includes as one of its four sectoral objectives “Increase effective equal access to adequate desegregated housing and essential services”, while the Council Recommendation on Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation features a comprehensive section on “Access to adequate desegregated housing and essential services”, calling on Member States to “ensure equal treatment of Roma people in access to adequate desegregated housing and essential services.” Ensuring access to housing and adequate services and providing support to the homeless are also extensively covered by the European Pillar of Social Rights (Social Pillar), the compass for Europe’s recovery, while it is also supported by Goals 6, 7, 11, 13 and 15 of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

During 2023, ERGO Network conducted in-depth national case studies in six countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain), looking at the realities of Roma housing and living conditions, as well as at the key barriers the Roma face when trying to access quality and affordable housing in these countries. Additional benchmarking evidence was provided by our members in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ireland, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Türkiye. The main findings and recommendations were brought together in an EU synthesis report, launched in the framework of the above-mentioned event.

Key messages of the report:

1. Roma living conditions are significantly worse than those of the majority, while most Roma experience de facto homelessness.

Urgent and significant investment is needed to improve the structural condition of the dwellings that most Roma inhabit, including their connection to utilities, in order to render them compliant with the United Nations definition of adequate housing.

2. Most Roma live in segregated communities and / or informal settlements, many exposed to environmental hazards.

Countries need to develop comprehensive desegregation plans with clear targets and indicators, which should also tackle the legalisation of irregular housing situations and the environmental consequences stemming from the use of unsuitable locations.

3. High costs of housing and overcomplex administrative procedures further reduce Roma access to housing.

Roma housing and energy poverty must be addressed through improving access to income and better regulation of the housing and utilities market; bureaucratic procedures should be simplified, including decoupling access to services from ID papers and a fixed address.

4. The Roma continue to face antigypsyism and forced evictions.

Anti-bias training must be compulsory for all housing actors, including local authorities, coupled with strong anti-discrimination legislation and mechanisms; evictions should be a last resort and must entail due notice and the provision of decent alternative housing.

5. Social housing holds great potential for Roma housing, but is currently under-utilised.

The social housing stock needs to be expanded and improved, while its allocation should follow a rights-based, housing-first approach, reducing conditionality and unaffordability and ensuring that vulnerable groups such as the Roma are prioritised.

6. Roma communities and their civil society organisations must be involved, in order to co-create sustainable ways forward.

Policymakers and all housing actors must cooperate closely with Roma stakeholders and their civil society representatives to ensure evidence-based solutions, support disaggregated data collection, foster common understanding, and bridge cultural gaps.

With this research, we aim to kick-start a debate with policymakers on improving the availability, accessibility, affordability, quality, and inclusiveness of housing for Europe’s Roma.

• Read the EU synthesis report here!
• Read the national case studies: Bulgaria – Czech Republic – Hungary – Romania – Slovakia – Spain.
• Read the additional benchmarking evidence: Albania – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Ireland (here and here) – Kosovo – North Macedonia – Turkiye.

For more information about ERGO Network’s work on Roma access to quality and affordable housing, please contact Senior Policy Adviser Amana Ferro.