RSS
One in five Romanian households spends more than 60 pct of income on rent
Romania is facing a series of undesirable records, as 45 percent of young Romanians live in severe housing shortage, while the percentage at European level is four times lower, shows a diagnostic study on quality, sustainable and affordable housing launched by the Economic and Social Council (CES).
Also, one in five households spends more than 60 percent of their income on rent, double the European average. The study recommends the adoption of ten key indicators of maximum national relevance regarding quality housing and the establishment of public policy targets for their improvement.
Following a nine-month analysis conducted by consulting technical experts and representative organizations in the field, the Economic and Social Council released the study "Housing in Romania: improving quality, sustainability and accessibility. Diagnostic study and recommendations for relevant public policies and regulation".
"It is the first time in nine years that CES takes ex officio action about a current social and economic phenomenon and carries out a complex analysis thereof. I welcome this new proactive orientation of CES and we assure public institutions that we are a reliable partner in the participatory development of quality public policies in Romania," said CES president Bogdan Simion.
"Government assistance to poor groups is inadequate, and social housing allocation is non-transparent, as homes go especially to those with high incomes. Romania has ratified a series of international treaties that address issues related to decent housing for vulnerable groups and the right to housing, which are examined in this study, but in practice it does not fulfill its obligations deriving from these regulatory acts," argue the authors of the study.
The document recommends amending the Housing Law to introduce obligations and sanctions for county and local authorities responsible for social housing, prohibiting the sale of public housing until the deficit of social housing decreases considerably, stopping sales of all housing built for the youth and granting local authorities pre-emption right for the purchase of housing units or residential buildings, especially of those intended for social housing.
Although 91 percent of the existing building stock consists of residential buildings, only 8 percent of single-family residential buildings have been renovated in the urban environment and just 3 percent thereof in the rural environment; the share is just 14 percent in the case of collective buildings. In practice, the quality of renovations is verified for only 10 percent of the few buildings where such works are being carried out.