THE ROLE OF HOUSING POLICY

1. THE ROLE OF HOUSING POLICY REDUCING EXTREME INCOME DISPARITIES UNECE/UNDP seminar (Geneva 2-3 October 2003) Dr. Iskra DANDOLOVA Bulgarian Academy of sciences

2. Outline • Housing policy concept • Housing in SEE • Current trends in housing policy development in SEE • Relevance of social housing policy • Recommendations • Conclusion

3. Housing policy concept • Housing : a basic physical & social need • Housing is inextricably linked to people’s physical survival and security • Symbol of existence, identity, solidarity • Basic place for labour activities • Key factor for stabilizing population movements • Instrument for managing the dynamic processes of urbanization and migration • Analysis of specialized housing information is a condition for developing a successful housing policy • Housing and poverty

4. Housing policy = Acces to Housing • Regulation of the market • Housing provision • Provision of social protection and social services support • Empowerment of vulnerable people

5. Building blocks of Housing policy aims: Housing policy = HM + SH + RE • 1. Access through the Marketplace • 2. Redistribution through the State : Social housing • 3. Reciprocal exchange

6. Current Trends in Housing Policy Development in SEE Housing policy development process is decelerated by: • Decentralization • Mass Privatization • Restitution

7. General Housing statistics in EU & SEE • EU : 377 mln people occupy 171 mls housing units (incl. 7% vacant units) • 3 mls homeless • 18 mls in inadequate accommodation • 300 – 500 dwellings per 1000 inhabitants • SEE 1990 : 59 mln people occupy 19 mln (approx) • SEE 2001 : 56 mln people occupy ??? mln housing units • ??? mln homeless • 2 mln people homeless as a result of the conflicts • 5 mln people deeply affected in housing by the conflicts • ??? mln units in inadequate accommodation • 150 – 450 dwellings per 1000 inhabitants

8. Current Trends in Housing Policy Development in the SEE Region • Specific historical and geopolitical challenges of the region • Brief and frail history of the social housing before the transition • Emergence of SH notion with the reform process • Some good social policy elaboration examples: Croatia and Romania • Lack of clear division of competencies between central and local government • Lack of specialized participants

9. Current Trends in Social Housing Policy Development It has been observed in the region the setting up of a selection criteria for the demand • Elaboration of a set of criteria used by authorities for granting access to SH • In some current practices, the economic criteria are the most used criteria for screening social housing candidates

10. Current Trends in Social Housing Policy Development Inadequate availability of SH stocks • Insufficient new construction Some new constructions are privatized A small number of new dwellings have been completed • Unused potential of private housing in the social housing policy ; It is not used as an instrument in the policy ; the private stock has a strong potential for enlarging social housing stock

11. Current Trends in Social Housing Policy Development

12. Relevance of social housing policy • Every country in the region has a great interest in • assuring a social housing strategy: • to protect vulnerable groups • to ensure social cohesion • to facilitate labour mobility • stabilize young countries

13. The Building Blocks of Social Housing Policy Access Institution Legislation Social housing stock Eligible vulnerable groups • access to SH is possible through a clear legal base and system of institutions • right to access is not a real access

14. EU Housing policy benchmark To promote reforms towards a democratic model • Addressing the issues in accordance with European Standards, the European Social Charter and the Charter of Fundamental Rights EU Council in Nice Dec/2000 objectives: • To facilitate participation in employment and access to all resources, rights, goods, services • To prevent the risk of exclusion • To help the most vulnerable • To mobilise all relevant bodies

15. The new paradigm to housing policy : • Housing as economic engine Instruments for enabling housing policy: • Property rights • Mortgage finance • Subsidies • Residential land • Building industry

16. Recommendations • Establishment of a legal base and a system of institutions • Targeting eligible vulnerable groups • Clear definition of the competencies of the relevant authorities, establishment of a permanent national unit • Designing specific financing mechanisms to ensure fiscally sustainable flow of resources for SH

17. Recommendations • Using private stock in the enlargement of the SH capacity. Incentives should be designed for private owner to rent dwellings to people in need • Definition of an allocation system, giving a priority to well targeted groups • Avoidance of the creation of entire residential areas • Providing training for personnel

18. Conclusion Housing policy is a major factor against poverty: • Address Identification of individuals • Protection & relative security • Privacy • Facilities for physical needs • Facilities for social alternatives • Potencial for individual development • Potencial for labour activities (in/about) • Makes people socialy inclusive THE SUCCESS OF THE HOUSING POLICY ULTIMATELY DEPENDS ON ITS CONSTRUCTION AS AN INTEGRAL SYSTEM.