The National/Local Situation of People Experiencing Homelessness
ROMANIA
1.The national context
Although many in Romania believe that the phenomena started after 1989, homelessness was evident during the communist regime. At this time, they and other ‘anti- social elements’ were dealt with under the penal code and isolated in prisons, as well as mental health and other institutions.
There is no national data-collection strategy on the phenomena and very little data available – only general social inclusion indicators being available at national level. The only figures available come from a study conducted in 2004 by the Research Institute for Quality of Life and the National Institute of Statistics, which estimated that the number of roofless people in Romania at 14,000 -15,000 persons maximum, with 5,000 living in Bucharest.
According to a Romanian Ministry of Labour spokesperson for a 2013 Peer Review on homelessness in Denmark, in 2005 the Government committed to implementing a three-year national programme for the counties and municipality of Bucharest that would establish 50 shelters for homeless people. The programme was to be funded by the state and implemented through the National Interest Programme. By the end of November 2011, 55 centres had been established, however, adult services for people who had lost their homes are only being provided in 19 of the 41 counties and in only 26 cities. Remember, not all of these services provide shelter with many simply offering information and advice – it is unclear how many of these services still operate in 2014.
Between 1 January and 31 December 2011, 113,495 ‘marginalised persons’ were registered with the authorities of which:
- 41,085 did not own or rent a place to live
- 161,806 lived in inadequate conditions
- 10,604 were older people without legal guardians or care givers
According to Eurostat, in 2011, 17.1 % of the EU-28 population lived in overcrowded dwellings with the highest overcrowding rates registered in Romania (54.2 %).
There is no national integration strategy for people who have lost their homes in Romania, who have always been included as a general priority in anti-poverty policies, as they are considered a vulnerable group. Following Government Decision (197/2006), a National Interest Programme (NIP) was launched with the aim of combating social exclusion through creating emergency social centres. Importantly, the Government provided a definition of ‘homelessness’ for the first time through Law 292/2011 on the National System of Social Assistance.
In addition, the Romanian Government has provided a definition of homelessness through Law 292/2011 on the national system of social assistance, which amended Law 47/2006. The definition of a homeless person is ‘someone represented in a social category formed by single people or families who, because of singular or cumulated reasons (social, medical, financial, economic or legal) or because of force majeure, lives on the streets or with friends or acquaintances and is unable to sustain a rented house or is threatened with eviction, or lives in institutions or prisons and is due to be released within two months and lacks a domicile or residence.’
In 2005, the Government committed to implementing a three-year national programme for the counties and municipality of Bucharest that would establish 50 shelters for homeless people. The programme was to be funded by the state and implemented through the National Interest Programme. By the end of November 2011, 55 centres had been established. However, adult services for people who had lost their homes are only being provided in 19 of the 41 counties and in only 26 cities. Not all of these services provide shelter with many simply offering information and advice - it is unclear how many of these services still operate in 2014. NGO service providers consider that the supply is insufficient to meet the demand.
The Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection (MLFSP) is responsible for developing and implementing social policies and programmes as well as monitoring and assessing policy implementation. Other ministries involved in social policy are the Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works and Housing, the National Disability Authority, the National Employment Agency and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The Romanian Ministry of European Affairs monitors the implementation of the National Reform Programme (NRP) at the national level and coordinates the elaboration of the annual Action Plan for implementing it. The implementation of measures for poverty mitigation will be monitored by the MLFSP, based on information received from the implementing institutions.
To qualify for social support from the County Council and local authority, a person has to prove a local connection, i.e. their identification document shows the person’s address as being in the area where support is being requested. Services provided by NGOs do not necessarily employ the same condition unless they are being funded by a County Council or local authority.
Despite what appears in official reports, in practice there is a huge lack of services for people experiencing homelessness. The principal support for homerless people is emergency night shelter generally provided by the County Councils and a handful of NGOs across the country followed by financial aid.
Like other countries in the region, Romanian citizens focus on the individual as the cause of his or her own state of homelessness, blaming the person rather than focusing on the larger antecedent social and economic forces, such as unemployment, limited affordable housing, and breakdowns in kinship networks. Derogatory labels, such as ‘bums’ and ‘bush people’ are still used by the public and often by officials in describing people experiencing homelessness.
2.The local context
As at the local level, there is a vacuum when it comes to data on homelessness. Both Samusocial, which undertakes outreach work and manages a day centre for homeless persons, and Casa Ioana collect some data on their respective beneficiaries.
According to Samusocial, in 2012, their outreach teams engaged with 119 people (mainly male) living rough on the streets of Bucharest.
Figure 1 Average number of unique homeless cases per district encounter by Samusocial outreach workers in Bucharest in 2012
According to Samusocial, the typology of people living rough in Bucharest is complex and connected to both commercial spaces ( squares, residential apartment blocks , green spaces such as parks, train and bus stations, and the street) and spaces without function (disused buildings , vacant land, etc. )
Casa Ioana collects data from beneficiaries coming into their shelters. This data includes information on the principle pathway into homelessness, whether rough sleeping was experienced and for how long for example. (This data will be analysed and will be disseminated as an annex to this document in the near future.)
3.Pathways into homelessness
The two biggest factors leading to people losing their homes are poverty and the lack of affordable housing.
Losing a job happens more frequently now than a few decades ago. The decline in manufacturing jobs and an increase in temporary and part-time employment have chipped away at the foundations of what was once a more stable job market.
According to the World Bank Group, (May 2013) Romania remains the country with the highest poverty levels in the European Union with more than 30% of the population living on less than Ron 16.5 (€3.7) per day. As more people become poor, more people become increasingly at risk of losing their homes.
Another difficult area is the lack of real affordable housing. The waiting list for low-income housing through the local authorities is at least five years in Bucharest and according to the law, being without a home is NOT a priority group for social housing.
A leading cause of losing a home among women and children is domestic violence. Women with violent partners sometimes have to choose between being abused at home or leaving home with nowhere else to stay. Women who leave with their children are survivors, but even in the safety of a shelter, rebuilding, gaining stability and establishing a healthy network of relationships takes time.
Only 31% of the population contribute to the current state-controlled health insurance system leaving 14.8 million people without health cover. In 2011, funds for health care accounted for 4% of GDP, against the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 9%. A major health crisis can be financially ruining.
People with mental health issues such as schizophrenia and personality disorders can lose their homes because of difficulties with adapting to family life, job and society. The closure of some mental health care institutions left many former patients being released from care into unknown living situations.
Not every person who loses their homes has a substance abuse problem, but many do and become dependent on alcohol and abuse other substances. The problems related to long-term substance abuse encompasses an abuser’s entire life. Because drug abuse is illegal, it often leads to further illegal activity, meaning time in and out of prison. Abuse has a negative impact on a person’s ability to work and maintain relationships and causes chronic health problems.
The transition from youth to adulthood is difficult for many people, but for young people who have grown up in poverty, this transition can be particularly difficult. Young people who have had to spend time in local authority care are more likely to experience being without a home. Supportive youth programmes end when they reach adulthood, although many are often unprepared for the difficult decisions they have to face at that age.
Numerous issues surround poverty and create important strains on relationships. People exhaust their personal relationships in the same way that they exhaust their financial resources. By the time a person is living on the streets, or staying in a shelter, their relationships are badly damaged.
When we think about people who have lost their homes, we usually think about adults. Unfortunately, thousands of children experience homelessness alongside their parents every year, sleeping in cars, shelters, and abandoned buildings. They move around continually, resulting in school disruption and even dropout.
4.Effects of family homelessness
Families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Many families, including children, have experienced trauma prior to losing their homes. Their homeless experience compounds the suffering, resulting in a cycle that is tragic, damaging and costly to both individuals and communities.
Research indicates that the typical family who has lost their home is headed by a single mother, usually in her late twenties. She has with her two or three young children. More than 90% of sheltered and low-income mothers have experienced physical and sexual assault over their lifespan.
Being without a home has a devastating impact on families, causing instability and insecurity. These families often lose their possessions and their jobs. They may also lose their relationships with friends and family, links to their community including relationships with family doctors and teachers. There is evidence suggesting that children living in shelters are generally younger than 12 years old and therefore in a crucial period of their development. The experience of losing one’s home and domestic violence has a serious impact on their health, education and wellbeing. These impacts include higher rates of anxiety, emotional and behavioural issues and mental illness. Parents trying to support their families without having a place to live can experience emotional and physical health issues, poor nutrition, isolation, and relationship difficulties. The experience affects the parents’ ability to provide appropriate support to their children resulting in many being taken into local authority care. The longer the episode lasts, the more difficult it is for families to regain their stability.
Impact on children’s health
Children growing up without a home are ill much more often than other children are and have higher rates of acute and chronic illnesses. Additionally, many suffer from emotional or behavioural problems, which will impede learning. These children tend to struggle with higher rates of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or withdrawal.
Children who do not have homes go hungry much more often than other children do.
Impact on education
Although the majority of children and young people without a home attend school, not all attend regularly. Those who are able to attend school have more problems learning in school. Compared with other children, they are more likely to experience developmental delays and very likely to have learning disabilities.
5.Social security benefits
Minimum income guarantee
One universal allowance is available to families and individuals that can be claimed without having to prove a local connection - ‘Minimum Income Guarantee’. If a family or an individual’s income does not exceed €122 per month, they can be entitled to financial aid as shown below:
Single person / €32Families of:
2 persons / €57
3 persons / €80
4 persons / €99
5 persons / €117
For any other additional members / €8
Emergency help
In cases of hardship or difficulty, a person can claim a one-off allowance. The amount of money is established by the local authorities of each district, depending on the budget.
Family supplements
If a family (including single parent families) are caring for a child or young person under 18 years, and a parent’s income is less than a certain amount, they could be eligible of a monthly allowance as shown below,
Families where the income is less than €45Two-parent families / Single-parent families
with 1 child / €18 / with 1 child / €24
with 2 children / €37 / with 2 children / €48
with 3 children / €55 / with 3 children / €72
with 4 children or more / €73 / with 4 children or more / €95
Families where the income is between €46 & €118
Two-parent families / Single-parent families
with 1 child / €17 / with 1 child / €23
with 2 children / €33 / with 2 children / €45
with 3 children / €50 / with 3 children / €68
with 4 children or more / €67 / with 4 children or more / €91
Child allowance
Child allowance is a universal monthly allowance given to all children who possess a birth certificate as follows:
Children under 2 or children with a disability under 3 / €45Children 2 or over or children with a disability who are 3 or over / €19
6.Health insurance
In 1997, the Romanian Social Health Insurance Law was adopted aimed at the Bismark model with compulsory health insurance based on the principle of solidarity and operating in a decentralised system.
To obtain medical assistance, the patient must be contributing to the health system;otherwise, they are entitled only to 72 hours emergency treatment only. In practice, most Romanians contribute to the health system through formal work contracts, however many low skill jobs can only be found in the informal sector meaning that these employees are outside of the health care system.
Although health services are free to those who are insured, in practice patients are required to make informal payments if they are to receive the treatment they need.
7.Weak/strong points in our socio-medical system
To qualify for social assistance and services in Romania, one has to prove a local connection. For some, this is difficult as they have informal rental agreements because proprietors will not agree to formal rental contracts. Consequently, the address on identifications documents are often old addresses, which if checked by a local authority will show that they no longer live there. For those who do not have support from the family, going back to Romania creates an increased risk of becoming or staying homeless. Besides a large shortfall in affordable housing, some districts in Bucharest do not provide emergency night shelters, even during the colder months.
If Romanian nationals do not make social contributions through their salaries, they are cut off from many of the social assistance benefits that they might have otherwise been entitled. There is a chronic lack of affordable housing in Romania with five-year waiting lists being a norm in Bucharest. Besides, homeless people are NOT a priority group when it comes to this type of housing.
Regarding the medical aspect, adults who do not have a legal working contract cannot be enrolled to a family doctor and are excluded from the health system except for emergency treatment. Although health services are free of charge to those who are insured, the reality is that medical procedures are unlikely without informal payments, which can be very expensive.
Other EU countries have actively recruited both health and social worker professionals meaning an acute ‘brain drain’ in these sectors in Romania.
A strong point in our social system is that local authorities can provide a housing allowance to help pay a family /single persons’ rent for up to a year for those who qualify. This is not without problems though, as beneficiaries will have to find a proprietor willing to sign an official rental contract for the full value of the rent.
An additional strong point is that money sent home by Romanian citizens working abroad provides financial stability for many thousands of households, many of which are situated in poor rural areas. For instance, the Romanian National Bank reported that Romanian citizens, who were living and working in Italy in 2013, sent a staggering 925 million euros to relatives and friends living in Romania.
8.Social housing
People experiencing homelessness are not on the priority list per sae for social housing in Romania because in allocating public housing, local authorities are obliged to give priority to specific groups. Presently, this includes: young married couples (each under the age of 35 years); young people (over 18 years) leaving social care establishments; first and second- degree disabled persons and others with disability; pensioners; veterans and war widows(ers). Additionally, anyone who owned a house in the past and sold it (including those forced to sell because of mounting debts), are not entitled to local authority social housing.