Housing

Housing is one of our primary concerns and priorities. We undertake educational efforts to enhance understanding, and awareness, and mitigate seismic risk in Bucharest. We develop tools for regulating and improving living conditions in informal settlements throughout Romania and collaborate closely with authorities to ensure equitable allocation and proper maintenance procedures for social housing stock.

Since 2018, we have developed resources and working practices and have facilitated legislative improvements for regulating informal settlements in Romania. This has enabled residents living without legal forms to be supported in increasing their housing security and living conditions. For more information, visit www.locuireinformală.ro.

We co-founded the Local Action Group Resita, supported funding access for modernizing social housing stock in Resita, and aided in improving allocation and maintenance practices. We have contributed to raising awareness of vulnerable seismic housing, and generating resources for homeowner associations and citizens. For more information, visit www.acasainsiguranta.ro.

Several MKBT members have served as independent experts, providing technical support to the Ministry of Development, Public Works, and Administration, in collaboration with the World Bank, for drafting Romania’s first National Housing Strategy after 1989.

1.1. Informal Housing

In Romania, tens of thousands of families live in homes without legal status (property deeds for land and/or house, building permits, etc.). Limited data on this subject, along with our field experience, indicate a growing trend in informal settlements, both in number and size.

During 2018-2019, we successfully amended the law to allow informal settlements in Romania to be formally acknowledged in urban planning documents. Subsequently, we developed methodological resources and working practices for regulating informal settlements, primarily piloting in Reșița.

Explore our RESOURCES, UPDATES, or PORTFOLIO to see our work on this priority.

Dedicated page: www.locuireinformala.ro

1.2. Social Housing

In the last 50 years, Romania has shifted from an all-powerful state that built millions of rental housing units to increase urbanization and industrialization, to a minimally involved state with extremely limited funds and capacity.

The framework for public housing policies (local and national) is underdeveloped and severely under-resourced compared to existing needs and requirements. Low-income citizens unable to access housing from the free market are nearly devoid of solutions and often end up living informally in unsafe, infamous areas that perpetuate cycles of social marginalization or on the streets.

In 2016, we co-founded the Local Action Group Resita and supported the municipality in securing European funding for the modernization of social housing stock through two participatory strategic planning exercises (2017 and 2023). We assisted the Resita City Hall in improving allocation criteria and maintenance procedures for social housing stock.

Explore our RESOURCES, UPDATES, or PORTFOLIO to see our work on this priority.

1.3. Seismic Vulnerability in Housing

In Bucharest, where we are headquartered and reside, and in the southeast of the country, housing challenges are complicated by seismic vulnerability. In recent years, we have developed resources to raise awareness of seismic risk and provide accessible information for property owners, homeowner associations, and tenants.

Explore our RESOURCES, UPDATES, or PORTFOLIO to see our work on this priority.