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Interdepartmental expert’s group determinative for an operation targeting the improvement of housing conditions of vulnerable groups with focus on Roma community was established by the Prime Minister Borisov. The group is conducted by the Minister of the EU funds Tomislav Donchev and includes representatives of Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Demographic Issues, the National Association of the Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, experts from the civil sector (Boyan Zahariev from Open Society Institute – Sofia and Deyan Kolev from Center Amalipe) and the Chief architect of Sofia Petar Dikov.

The expert group held its first meeting on February 17^th. The main topics discussed were the ranges of the Operation, its funding, types of activities and the criteria for participation of the beneficiaries. Minister Donchev stressed on the need of establishing an integrated model for improvement of housing conditions of Roma community which model includes not only housing, but also social infrastructure, improvement of education and employment. At this stage in the sphere of Roma integration we have good models in education, health care and labour policy. In these areas we need mainly to turn these pilot models into national policy. In the field of housing conditions a successful model is not yet present, said the Minister of EU funds. Now we have the chance to establish such a model by combining funds from Operational Program “Regional development” and OP “Human resources development” which will be implemented in the next Program period.

Lilly Pavlova, Deputy Minister of the Regional development said that the deadlines for designing such interventions are very short – until May 15^th its ranges must be defined. Under OP “Regional development” 16 million BGN can be used for pilot operation and that will be under Measure 1.2 “Social housing” of the Operational Program.

Deyan Kolev stressed on the need of adding additional funds to the above mentioned which additional funding would be used for social infrastructure in the neighborhoods concerned. In addition funds from the OP “Human resources development” must be invested in improving the access to education, qualification and employment of Roma people in the selected neighborhoods. If that does not happen the Operation will not be just unsuccessful, but it might have a negative impact.

The participants gathered around the idea of having the pilot intervention in a small amount of places (1 to 3) where the selected municipalities will have the opportunity to determine the specific ranges of the intervention. One of the requirements will be including the future tenants in various ways in the construction process of the houses (including training courses for additional qualification). Within the intervention activities for improving the access to education and employment of the participants will be developed.

Mobilization of the resources of the Roma community and its active participation will be an integrant part of the Operation. For that purpose the selected municipalities will partner to the local non-governmental organizations that work in the selected neighborhoods. The participants in the Program will be selected on the basis of clear social criteria which will allow all citizens of the neighborhoods who meet the criteria, to participate in the Program regardless of their ethnicity.