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What is the right to housing?

A fundamental human right since 1948!

Adequate housing was recognized as a human right in 1948, upon the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is a universal right, accepted and applicable throughout the world as a fundamental human right.

Several international treaties affirm that governments have the obligation to promote and protect this right. Today, there are more than 12 UN instruments that recognize the right to housing. Despite that, the implementation of the right to adequate housing is still a major challenge.

More than a roof and four walls!

The right to adequate housing is part of the right to an adequate standard of living. It cannot be reduced to a roof and four walls, but should be understood in broad terms as including the right of every person to have access to a home and community, to enjoy physical and mental health, and to live in safety, peace and dignity.

Adequate housing includes:

•   security of tenure, without being afraid to be removed or to be subject to undue or unexpected threads;

•  access to public services and infrastructure, such as education, health, leisure, transportation, electricity, potable water, adequate sewage and garbage disposal systems

•  access to environmental assets, such as land and water, and to a balanced environment

•   affordability, with costs compatible with the income levels or housing with subsides

•   good housing conditions, with protection against cold weather, heat, rain, wind, fire, flood, risks of collapse or other threats to health and life

•   priority for the needs of vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities

•   proper location, with access to physicians and hospitals, schools, day nursery and transport, in urban or rural areas

•  use of materials, structures and space in accordance with the inhabitant´s culture

 http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Housing/Pages/HousingIndex.aspx

The need for social rental housing in Romania; providing well-managed and affordable housing for low and middle income citizens

Position paper by:

Habitat League of Home Owners Associations

Woonbron social housing organization Netherlands

Housing Matters/Vestia Interconsult

Contribution to the international conference “Urban regeneration: the role of social housing and energy efficiency policies into the integrated urban programme” on 1-3 October in Negresti Oas, Satu Mare, Romania

Summary

Social housing is of great importance for Romania. Not only because of Romania’s improper functioning housing market, which causes much distress for Romanians who want to move or start their housing career or who are confronted with improper functioning management and maintenance of their condominiums. It also is of great importance for Romania’s economic development. Without a proper functioning housing market Romania looses competitive power with respect to other EU-countries. There are, however, promising initiatives to improve the situation and Romanian government. Municipalities can contribute to that by promoting a change of attitude towards renting, by stopping the unconditional sale of ANL-houses, by stimulation of the establishment of social housing organisations, by development of policies and legislation and by contribution to social housing pilot projects.   

Humanitarian assistance versus affordable social housing for low to middle income groups

Humanitarian programmes provide housing to the most vulnerable groups in society and are almost exclusively state-budget or donor funded. This is different to affordable social housing for low to middle income groups. Although some subsidies are required to cover the below market prices rents, the development of social housing can be fundamentally financially sustainable. This is necessary, because the volume of the demand for social housing is larger than for humanitarian programmes in the longer term.

The importance of social housing for the country’s economic development

The economic development of modern western economies not only depends on the competitive power of its industries and physical, economic and social infrastructure but also very much on the competitive power of its labour force. Investments in these countries are sensible if they correspond and are handled effectively and efficiently. This not only needs highly professional bankers, governors, industrials and policy makers at different levels of decision making, but also needs at the end of the money chain labourers who keep society running like nurses, policemen, teachers, shop personnel, waiters and construction workers but also young generations who will be the work force of tomorrow. The competitive power of a country depends not only on their skills but also on their flexibility. Flexibility concerns not only in learning new skills but also physical flexibility; the willingness and ability to move, to change homes. For that a flexible and accessible housing market is needed. The economic development of countries is hampered if the housing market is not flexible, if people at the end of the money chain cannot accept new jobs or study elsewhere because there is no affordable accommodation available. A social housing sector of substantial volume and consisting of obtainable and payable rentals and owner occupied houses is the (only) solution for that problem.

In the past years Romania has seen many of its labourers leave the country for ‘temporary’ work in the west of Europe, thus showing their physical flexibility. Many of them also ended up in the Netherlands, just as many people from Bulgaria, Poland and the Baltic countries. In general they are praised for their hard work and seen as an asset for the Dutch economy. Recent polls under Polish workers in the Netherlands have shown that 40% of them will not return to Poland but have chosen for a new life in the Netherlands. About an affordable house they do not need to worry. The Dutch social housing sector is very able to accommodate their housing needs.

Lack of affordable housing for low and middle income

In Romania, almost all public housing stock was privatised in the early 90’ies. Almost all residential buildings are now privately owned and only 1-2% is now owned by municipalities and state institutions. With this step, the Romanian state had shifted in a very short time span from being fully responsible for the provision of (social) housing to virtually not being involved at all in the residential housing sector.

Because of the relatively large stress on the building market, prices and property have increased dramatically over the last years. An increasing share of house-owners is incapable of maintaining their property under the current market conditions. Also, the majority of the young families and marginal groups are not able to acquire property. At the same time, many Romanian people living on a few hundred Lei per month witness property prices increasing to a level they cannot afford. Also, pensioners and labour migrants have no access to affordable housing.

Inadequate management and maintenance

The current problems associated with former public housing which is now owner-occupied stem from three main factors. The first is the physical state of this housing stock, which consists mostly of deteriorated multifamily buildings with neglected repairs and serious technical deficiencies. The other is that ownership passed to individual owners, often low-income households, who cannot afford the maintenance and necessary repairs. The third factor is that the responsibility for this housing stock was passed to the new owners without ensuring proper financial, legal and organizational conditions.

Shortage of rentals

Although not exactly known, a substantial number of informal or one-on-one rentals exists, i.e. people renting out their apartment or house directly. However, renting a home is not institutionalised. There are no social housing associations, or commercially operating housing agencies owning stock or managing this on some scale. This has caused, in combination with the migration to the larger cities, a huge shortage of rental stock.

Social rental sector as a possible solution

A well managed and subsidised social rental sector will complement private ownership to serve the low and middle income groups. This model has been proved in many countries in the European Union. For example, in the Netherlands, 30% of the housing stock is social rentals.  Also, social rental housing is a more efficient, effective and flexible instrument in national and local social policy than the current practice of subsidizing construction only. Finally, the rental sector allows for introducing improved and more efficient management and maintenance practices in housing from which also the management of private stock can benefit.

The role of limited-profit social housing providers

There is a need for institutional reform in housing. New dedicated and professional organizations (“limited-profit housing providers”) should be established which can 1) develop and manage social rentals 2) have a mandate and obligate to implement social housing policy 3) are able to provide mixed commercial and subsidized housing to secure financial sustainability under limited-profit conditions 4) are able to provide professional management services. Also, experience in many countries, including the Netherlands, has shown that the management of social rental stock should be done by professional limited profit housing organizations. They can provide efficient and effective central expertise which would improve the economics of management.  This can be supported, if necessary, by public subsidies and the legal definition of public service obligations.

Business and organisation model of a social housing organisation

The social housing organization (SHO) is a limited profit organisation. All profits incurred from commercial activities are reinvested in social housing. The organisation is eligible for  public subsidies (e.g. provision of land at preferential conditions by municipalities, grants, or tax breaks) because it provides a specific public service (social housing). An independent status is needed to secure the business-oriented and non-political operation. The SHO is governed by a combination of civil society organisations with an interest in social housing, and by its clients. Cooperation with the municipality can take the shape of strategic and project-based partnerships.

Establishing a social housing organisation

1.    A SHO is best structured regionally to secure both the local embedding and the sufficient potential in investments projects.

2.     A social housing stock can be built not only through greenfield developments but also by redevelopment of existing locations.

3.    Mixed development, combining social rental housing with development for sale, and with commercial real estate, will secure financial feasibility

What can national government and local governments do to start with?

• A mentality change is needed. In many European countries, citizens regard high quality and well-managed rentals as a perfectly adequate alternative to privately owned housing. This is not the case in Romania. The government should promote this change in predisposition to allow the acceptance of different housing solutions by providing the first examples.
•  The housing stock that has been built under the “First House”/Construction programme by the National Housing Agency with state or local subsidies should be retained as social rentals or as society bound owner occupied houses but not sold off. The current policy of the Regional Development and Housing to sell the stock within a couple of years to its residents has short term benefits, but does not contribute to increase the long-term availability of affordable housing for low and middle income groups.
•  Management of public rentals, such as housing stock built under the ANL programme, is best managed by professional management organizations, and not by municipalities. The establishment of such professional management organizations should be stimulated after which the management of the ANL-housing stock should be transferred.
•  Policies and legislation for public private partnerships with social housing organizations should be adopted.
• Municipalities can contribute by cooperation in the investment projects, providing cheap land and political administrative support. This is one of the key prerequisites of a sustainable business operation of a social housing organisation.
• As a first step, in cooperation with municipalities, the specific needs for social housing, and the local potential (sites, building design, available municipal land) should be investigated.

Dreptul la Locuinta / Dreptul la Locuire Decenta!

In Constitutie sunt prevazute ca Drepturi şi libertăţile fundamentale:

ARTICOLUL 22 - Dreptul la viaţă şi la integritate fizică şi psihică

ARTICOLUL 32 - Dreptul la învăţătură

ARTICOLUL 33 - Accesul la cultură

ARTICOLUL 34 - Dreptul la ocrotirea sănătăţii

ARTICOLUL 36 - Dreptul de vot

ARTICOLUL 37 - Dreptul de a fi ales

ARTICOLUL 41 - Dreptul la Munca şi protecţia socială a muncii

ARTICOLUL 45 - Libertatea economică

ARTICOLUL 47 - Nivelul de trai -    (1) Statul este obligat să ia măsuri de dezvoltare economică şi de protecţie socială, de natură să asigure cetăţenilor un nivel de trai decent.    (2) Cetăţenii au dreptul la pensie, la concediu de maternitate plătit, la asistenţă medicală în unităţile sanitare de stat, la ajutor de şomaj şi la alte forme de asigurări sociale publice sau private, prevăzute de lege. Cetăţenii au dreptul şi la măsuri de asistenţă socială, potrivit legii.

ARTICOLUL 48 - Familia

ARTICOLUL 49 - Protecţia copiilor şi a tinerilor

ARTICOLUL 50 - Protecţia persoanelor cu handicap

ARTICOLUL 51 - Dreptul de petiţionare

Toate acestea sunt doar forme fara fond in lipsa unui drept fundamental: Dreptul la Locuinta / Dreptul la Locuire Decenta!

Este evident ca nu putem discuta de dreptul la viata, invatatura, sanatate, munca, nivel de trai decent, familie (s.a.) fara existenta dreptului elementar de a avea (nu in sensul de a detine in proprietate) o locuinta decenta.

Mai mult:

Ø  Lipsa de locuinţe decente la un preţ accesibil influenţează in mod direct viaţa cetăţenilor, limitandu-le posibilitatea de integrare socială şi de mobilitate;

Ø  Mai bine de jumatate dintre cetateni  trăiesc in aglomerări urbane, deşi multe oraşe se confruntă cu probleme importante in ceea ce priveşte locuinţele cum ar fi:

o    insuficienţa ofertei,

o    costurile ridicate de cumpărare şi intreţinere,

o    starea proastă a imobilelor;

Ø  Problema locuinţelor urbane se inscrie in contextul mai larg al planificării urbane şi este legată aşadar de problemele cum ar fi:

o    de pauperizare a anumitor cartiere,

o    de degradare a mediului (poluarea aerului şi a apei, zgomotul, deşeurile, suprapopularea etc.),

o    de proasta funcţionare a serviciilor publice, de accesibilitate sau de securitate etc.;

Ø  Dificultăţile de acces la locuinţe stau la baza fenomenelor de segregare socială şi de transformare in ghetou;

Ø  Combinaţia de venituri scăzute, preţuri ridicate la energie cu sisteme de incălzire şi de izolare inadecvate, dă naştere unor fenomene precum sărăcia şi deconectarea de la energie;

Ø  Excluderea socială contravine modelului social european;

Ø  Extinderea urbană generează numeroase probleme sociale şi economice afectand transporturile (congestia transporturilor in comun, dependenţa de maşina personală), protecţia mediului (consumul crescut de energie, poluarea) şi accesibilitatea serviciilor;

Ø  Problemele specifice legate de marile imobile prefabricate, atat in ceea ce priveşte calitatea spaţiului de locuit, cat şi in ceea ce priveşte reabilitarea infrastructurilor (finanţarea lucrărilor de intreţinere şi renovare, dar şi a cercetării privind tehnicile şi tehnologiile adecvate) sunt accentuate de varsta fondului locativ – peste 80% fiind mai vechi de 20 de ani si de imbatranirea populatiei (exista zone in care peste 70% dintre ocupantii locuintelor sunt pensionari)!

Ø  Importanţa regenerării terenurilor industriale in paragină şi a protecţiei spaţiilor verzi;

Ø  Sectorul locuinţelor reprezintă o sursă importantă de ocupare a forţei de muncă atat in domeniul construcţiilor, cat şi in domeniul renovării, al amenajării, al serviciilor de proximitate şi al serviciilor financiare,

In acest sens Liga Asociatiilor de Proprietari Habitat considera ca:

1.Dreptul la o locuinţă decentă / locuire decenta accesibilă ca preţ este un drept fundamental al fiecărui cetăţean si ar trebui sa se regaseasca in Constituie!

2.Autoritatile publice trebuie sa asigure reguli clare si usor de aplicat pentru accesul la locuinte si sanse mai bune pentru asigurarea si pastrarea unei locuinte decente in cazul grupurilor vulnerabile.

3. Este necesara identificarea unei serii de standarde de calitate minimă care să definească noţiunea de „locuinţă decentă”;

4. Este necesara stabilirea dreptului la alocaţie pentru locuinţă, cat şi consolidarea tuturor drepturilor sociale, pentru a putea permite o mobilitate reală a lucrătorilor;

6. Trebuie pus accentul pe importanţa chestiunilor de securitate:

Ø  in ceea ce priveşte criminalitatea, mai ales in cartierele defavorizate,

Ø  in ceea ce priveşte clădirile (norme de construcţie şi de exploatare),

Ø  in ceea ce priveşte infrastructurile pentru electricitate şi gaz, dar şi pentru apă şi canalizare (siguranţa sistemelor existente şi a tehnologiilor de reabilitare);

7. Este necesara extinderea dezbaterii privind locuinţele şi asupra locuinţelor din mediul rural;

8. Este necesara o analiză mai detaliată privind costurile locuinţelor pentru a putea lua in calcul mai bine eterogenitatea ocupării locuinţelor şi pentru a inţelege problema locuinţelor din perspectiva globală a imbătranirii populaţiei, a modificării structurii familiale tradiţionale şi a situaţiei speciale a tinerilor;

9.Politica locuintei nu trebuie facuta in afara politicilor de dezvoltare durabila a localitatilor.

10.Politicile de locuire trebuie sa reprezinte parte a unei abordari integrate a tuturor problemelor unei comunitati: sprijinirea simultană a activităţilor de renovare fizică a mediului urban cu cele de reabilitare a infrastructurii de bază, precum şi cu acţiuni pentru dezvoltarea economică, creşterea competitivităţii şi ocupării, integrarea grupurilor etnice în condiţiile protejării mediului.

Avantajul acestei abordări integrate – bazate pe principiile de subsidiaritate şi de proximitate – constă în faptul că se pot rezolva simultan o serie de probleme între care există relaţii de interdependenţă şi care afectează atât zona urbană cât şi arealele adiacente ceea ce ar face posibilă ameliorarea calităţii vieţii şi atractivitatea mediilor urbane.

11. Politicile in domeniul locuintei trebuie realizate de către autorităţile locale care pot asigura o viziune de ansamblu, o coordonare optimă a politicilor şi a iniţiativelor puse in aplicare in aglomerările urbane şi o viziune pe termen lung asupra dezvoltării aglomerării urbane.

Autorităţile administraţiei publice locale împreună cu toţi actorii implicaţi şi interesaţi de dezvoltarea urbană trebuie să colaboreze pentru elaborarea unor planuri coerente, participative, integrate şi durabile care să conducă la rezolvarea problemelor sociale, economice si de mediu, tot mai numeroase în oraşele şi municipiile ţării, şi în acelaşi timp la creşterea atractivităţii oraşelor şi îmbunătăţirea calităţii vieţii în mediul urban.

Implicarea cetăţenilor şi a principalilor actori locali în elaborarea strategiilor de dezvoltare urbană constituie o precondiţie pentru asigurarea sustenabilităţii acestor planuri integrate.

Dialogul şi consultarea intre diferitele niveluri ale autorităţii locale, regionale şi guvernamentale, pot asigura coerenţa intervenţiei publice, mulţumită unei coordonări orizontale (intre toate politicile privind locuinţele), verticale (intre actorii care se ocupă de locuinţe la diferite niveluri – naţional, local – ) şi mixte (intre autorităţile publice, actorii socio-economici şi societatea civilă).