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More than 120 participants – representatives of institutions from the countries included in the Decade of Roma Inclusion, Roma NGOs, the European Commission and international organizations – took part in the conference “Improving Access to Housing for Roma”. It took place in Prague from February 2 to 4. The conference was organized by the Decade of Roma Inclusion Secretariat, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Open Society Institute and the Government Office of the Czech Republic.

The aim of the conference was to ensure that housing projects and policies receive adequate attention as crucial part of inclusive policy within the framework of a comprehensive approach. This was the main massage of the plenary session. Miroslav Kalous (Deputy Minister of Regional Development of Czech Republic), Morten Kjaerum and Eva Sobotka (FRA), Robert Bash (Open Society Fund – Prague), Alexandros Tsolakis (European Commission), Michael Guet (Council of Europe) and Katarina Mathernova (World Bank) explained their vision on the necessary integrated approach. Mr. Tsolakis insisted that the Amendment of Art. 7 of European Regional Development Fund provide a unique opportunity for housing intervention in Roma community. It is of crucial importance now to have successful pilot projects in different member states that apply this opportunity in order to prove its necessity: otherwise this opportunity could be missed in the new Regulations for the next planning period, explained Tsolakis. He also added that the Commission is finalizing Guidance Note on the Implementation of Art.7 that would encourage the member states. Nevertheless, the activeness of NGOs and Roma community will be key factor. Katarina Mathernova pointed that the Commission introduced two additional conditions for using ERDF funds for improving the housing conditions of marginalized communities: this to be done within an integrated approach that includes not only housing but also “soft” measures (education, employment, and others) and this to help desegregation. Mrs. Mathernova explained that “desegregation” has different aspects: it is not necessary to mean demolishment of the Roma neighborhood but could mean improving its connections with the other neighborhoods, desegregation in education and employment, etc. It is important these conditions to be applied in all housing interventions in Roma community, claimed Katarina Mathernova.

Six working groups discussed different aspects of the topic: practical application of anti-discrimination legislation, housing and conflict, collaborative planning and mediating shared communities, social housing, good practices in rural and urban areas, making ERDF available for financing housing for marginalized communities. They were moderated respectively by Michail Beis (FRA), Catalin Berescu (architect), Maria Faraone (Oxford Brookes), Jozsef Hegedus (Metropolitan Research Institute), Eva Sobotka (FRA) and Alexandros Tsolakis (DG Regio, European Commission). Speakers were representatives of national institutions and Roma NGOs.

Thirty five participants attended the sessions of “Making ERDF available for financing housing for marginalized communities” (ERDF seminar) working group. It was co-organized by Making the most of EU funds for Roma (MtM) initiative of OSI. The working group was moderated by Alexandros Tsolakis and Adam Kullman. The objectives of the working group were to discuss the necessary content of Roma inclusion housing programs at national level and to facilitate the programming process by discussing the guidelines offered by the EC. Participants discussed also how to define the term “marginalized communities”, what kind of actions should be included in the so-called “integrated approach” and in which geographical areas housing interventions should take place. They agreed on using the term “marginalized communities” rather than “vulnerable groups” as better targeting Roma. The integrated approach should include interventions in housing, education, employment as well as in community mobilization and self-organizing. It is necessary such investment activities to cover not only Roma neighborhoods but the surrounding region in order to help desegregation and to achieve sustainable results.

Bulgaria was represented on the conference by officials from Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Labour, by the Head of Commission against Discrimination Kemal Eyup and by the Chair of Center Amalipe Deyan Kolev. As one of the main speakers in ERDF working group Deyan Kolev presented opportunity for using Art 7 Amendments in Bulgarua. He argued that in this planning period special integrated operation financed by Human Resources Development Operational Program and Regional Development Operational Program should be tested in at least three Roma neighborhoods – in city, town and village. This operation should include interventions for improving the infrastructure, housing, employment and education in the neighborhoods targeted. Roma community should be actively involved: that is why measures for community mobilization are obligatory, this is a question of efficiency, insisted Kolev.

Referring to the Conclusions of the Fifth Cohesion Report published by European Commission Deyan Kolev claimed social inclusion of marginalized communities to be envisaged as conditionality for the member states to absorb European funds: this will encourage the national governments to start comprehensive programs for Roma integration and to move from good intentions to good actions, said Kolev. He also proposed the new Regulations of ESF and ERDF to envisaged minimal share / percentage for interventions in marginalized communities that follow the so-called “integrated approach”. The discussions for the future infrastructure of the European funds started in Brussels and Roma organizations should be very active in advocating these ideas, announced Kolev.