Presentation by Michael Guet, Council of Europe, on the occasion of the EESC conference on 'Better Roma inclusion through civil society initiatives: focus on education, employment, housing and antidiscrimination' (Brussels, 7 November 2014).

1. Housing & Encampment Areas
A summary of the main conclusions of four
CAHROM thematic reports on Roma housing

2. CAHROM thematic reports 1/2
• CAHROM (2012)8 Thematic report on social housing for
Roma
 “the FYR Macedonia”(requesting)
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (partner)
 Croatia (partner)
 Spain (partner)
• CAHROM (2013)6 Thematic report on encampment areas
and other issues relating to Travellers
 Belgium (requesting)
 France (partner)
 Switzerland (partner)
 United-Kingdom (partner)
CAHROM thematic reports on
housing and encampment areas

3. CAHROM thematic reports on
housing and encampment areas
CAHROM thematic reports 2/2
•CAHROM (2013)18 Thematic report on social housing for
Roma and legalisation of Roma settlements and houses
 Albania (requesting)
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (partner)
 “the FYR Macedonia” (partner)
• CAHROM (2014)4 Thematic report on legalisation of Roma
informal settlements, rehousing solutions and alternative
measures to evictions
 Serbia (requesting)
 Greece (partner – not part of the thematic visit)
 Slovak Republic (partner)
 Spain (partner)

4. CAHROM thematic reports on
housing and encampment areas
Issues addressed (sedentary Roma)
• Access to social housing and criteria
• Availability, affordability & quality of housing
• Access to property
• Security of tenure
• Definition of temporary housing
• Legalization of illegal buildings/settlements
• Financial means for re-/construction
• Re-housing programmes
• Conditions & alternatives to forced evictions
• Segregation (voluntary or de facto)

5. CAHROM thematic reports on
housing and encampment areas
Issues addressed (Travellers)
• Recognition of the caravan as a house
• Sufficient provision of halting sites
• Configuration and localisation of halting sites
• Criteria for accessing halting sites
• Infrastructure for both short or long stays
• Land property
• Charges and/or fees for halting areas
• Administrative attachment to a municipality
• Relationship with the neighbourhood

6. CAHROM thematic reports on
housing and encampment areas
Standards, case-law and definitions
• UN Habitat Agenda def. “adequate housing”
• UN Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights definition of “forced eviction”
• Definition of “security of tenure” by AI
• CM Recommendations (2005)4 & (2004)14
• Strasbourg Declaration
• EU Council Rec. and conclusions;
• EP Resolutions
• ESC decisions (FR, GR, IT)
• ECtHR case law (Yordanova vs. Bulgaria)
• UNDP, FRA, WB, Roma Decade, ERRC,
PRAXIS, AI etc. studies and reports

7. Albania
 Online registration and statistical database
Support from UNDP, Switzerland, UN
Needs assessment of social housing
National Reception Centres for immediate
transitory shelter in case of evictions

8. CAHROM thematic reports on
housing and encampment areas
Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Political and financial priority given to Roma housing
 Involvement of local authorities (data, budget…)
Participatory mechanism for the selection of Roma
beneficiaries of social housing programmes
Involvement of Roma in the design, implementation
and monitoring of actions
Database on Roma housing
Assistance from SIDA, Hilfswerk-Austria and CEB

9. Croatia
CAHROM thematic reports on
housing and encampment areas
 Legal aid for housing
 Urbanisation and improvement of
living standards (PHARE Phase II)
 Cross-border co-operation

10. Greece
CAHROM thematic reports on
housing and encampment areas
 Priority given to Roma housing
 Housing loans programme for Roma
 Construction of integrated
settlements
 Housing rehabilitation

11. Serbia
 Efforts from Belgrade Municipality to provide
social housing and alternative shelter after
evictions
 Several solutions proposed (social housing,
village houses, access to property)
 Financial assistance from UNOPS
 Mapping of Roma settlements
 Dweller-driven Upgrading of Roma settlements
project (Voivodina)
 By-law to solve legalisation of informal
settlements not covered by general law (tbc)

12. Slovak Republic
 Mapping of Roma settlements (Atlas)
 Publication of a methodological manual
for local authorities (procedures and
model construction project)
 Building Act on dwellings built without
respecting construction rules and of
dwelling built without proper land
ownership (tbc, pending adoption)

13. Spain
 Radical action to destroy slams
 Political will to eradicate slums
 Combination of local/regional/state/EU funds
 Quality of its housing action plan
 Housing and infrastructures rehabilitation
 Re-housing projects (Madrid, Malaga, Segovia,
Aviles…)
 Involvement of Roma in the needs assessment,
design, implementation & monitoring of actions
 Surveys on and mapping of Roma housing
 Gender desegregated data

14. CAHROM thematic reports on
housing and encampment areas
« The former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia »
Law for legalisation of settlements
Micro-credits for Roma housing/property docs
Legal aid for housing
Financial assistance for legalisation
10% quota for Roma in social housing units
Joint implementation of housing projects with
Roma/non Roma NGOs
Support from UN-Habitat & CEB
Role of ZELS acging as a bridge between
minsitries and local authorities
UNDHP programme to access housing

15. Belgium
 Recognition of the caravans as dwellings (Brussel-Capital
and Flanders)
 100% financing of permanent residential sites (Flanders)
 Strategic Plan for Travellers’ integration (Flanders)
 Statistical data about number of Travellers (Flanders)
 Network of towns hosting Travellers (Wallony)
 Empowerment and integration through training,
awareness, mediation & education (Wallony)
 Mediators (Wallony)/neighbourhood stewards (Flanders)
 Culture-based adapted configuration of temporary and
long-term sites cf. entrance and cellular layout (Flanders)
 In-site service of social workers (Flanders)
 Belgian Council of Roma, Sinti and Travellers

16. France
 French legislation providing encampment sites in
municipalities with over 5,000 inhabitants
 Practical handbook for Travellers with info about
encampment areas, hospitals, schools, associations, etc.
 Fleet insurance policy
 Validation of skills/experienced for Travellers without a
diploma
 National Consultative commission for Travellers
 Possibility for distance learning (CNED)
 Large-capacity short-stay sites (for Evangelical meetings
of up to 200 caravans)
 governmental financial contribution for the construction
of site amounting to 70% of total costsbefore tax

17. Switzerland
• Stopping sites (long-stay) and stop-over
sites (short-stay) adapted to the needs
• Federal law on encouragement of culture
of Swisse Travellers
• Recognition of Swiss Travellers/Yenish
as a national minority
• Foundation set up to provide grants to
Swiss Travellers

18. United Kingdom
 Legislation relevant to caravan sites and mobile
homes
 Assessment of Gypsies and Travellers’ needs
guaranteed by Law (Housing Act)
 Specific planning policy for Travelle sites
(England)
 Guidelines on dealing with illegal and
unauthorised encampments (England)
 Inter-ministerial group on tackling inequalities
experienced by Gypsies & Travellers

19. THANK YOU!
Michaël Guet
with contributions from
Victoria Berrocal and Sébastien Serve