АУТОР / AUTHOR(S): Zlata Vuksanović-Macura, Sónia Alves
DOI: 10.46793/CSGE5.43ZVM
САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:
Comparisons are needed to assess the successes and failures of today’s public policies, as well as to promote policy learning. This is particularly important in the case of policies for low-income and disadvantaged groups such as the Roma, Europe’s largest ethnic minority, whose housing conditions starkly contrast with those of the general population wherever they reside. Roma families often live in precarious housing in segregated neighborhoods, and face significant obstacles to accessing essential services.
The European Union (EU) Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion, and participation sets common (horizontal and sectorial) objectives and headline targets to monitor the achievement of these objectives. Within the four sectorial objectives, one objective is to increase the Roma’s access to adequate desegregated housing and essential services, and address segregated settlements, closing the gap with other populations. This is to be done by reducing housing deprivation, cutting overcrowding, and ensuring access to tap water. Correspondingly, the Western Balkan countries endorsed the Roma integration declaration, committing, by the time of their accession, to tangible progress in education, employment, health, housing, civil registration and non-discrimination.
This comparative study investigates the approaches of two European countries: Serbia (an EU candidate) and Portugal (an EU member) in relation to the Roma’s access to adequate housing and essential services. To do so we use the so-called integrated EU strategic framework on Roma equality, inclusion and participation to compare the range of housing programmes that have been formulated across different local settings, trying to assess whether they follow the EU recommendation for Roma inclusion. The research consists of analysis of relevant academic literature, key communication journals and reports. The study will draw out the implications of its findings for urban politics and housing policy.
КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:
housing policy; EU Roma strategic framework; Roma; Serbia; Portugal