Housing

Author

JRS Romania

Stay in reception centres

Beneficiaries of international protection who participate in integration programmes and have no financial means are allowed to stay in the Regional Centres, subject to availability of places.^[1] They may stay in the centres for 12 months with the possibility of extension for another 6 months in case of well-founded reasons, with the approval of IGI-DAI, without exceeding the implementation period of the integration programme.^[2] Vulnerable categories can be accommodated until it is established the condition of vulnerability ended.

A total of 431 beneficiaries of international protection were residing in the Regional Centres at the beginning of 2023:

Source: IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024

The situation in 2022 was as follows:

In Giurgiu, the director mentioned that during 2022, five beneficiaries of international protection were accommodated in the centre.

In Timișoara, the director of the regional centre reported that in 2022 only six (three men and three women) beneficiaries were accommodated in the centre.

In Rădăuţi, 174 beneficiaries were accommodated during 2022, according to the director.

In Galati, 154 beneficiaries were accommodated during 2022, according to the director.

In Şomcuta Mare 25 beneficiaries were accommodated, according to the director.

In Bucharest, 38 beneficiaries were accommodated, according to the director.

Beneficiaries accommodated in Regional Centres have to pay rent, including maintenance costs, after 3 months.^[3] This was also confirmed by the directors of Timișoara, Giurgiu and Vasile Stolnicu. The daily rental fee is different in every regional centre. Vulnerable beneficiaries may be accommodated free of charge in the Regional Centres.^[4]

Although the rent costs are lower compared to the situation outside the Regional Reception Centre, they are high compared to the IPB (grant aid) income. Vulnerable IPB beneficiaries live in Regional Reception Centre without paying rent.[5]

Beneficiaries of international protection who participate in integration programmes and have no financial means have the right to stay in Regional Centres or in other facilities managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a general period of 12 months, which may be extended for 6 months, while for vulnerable categories this period may be further extended indefinitely.^[6]

In practice, beneficiaries of international protection in Timișoara, Bucuresti, Şomcuta Mare, Rădăuţi, Galaţi and Giurgiu, are allowed to stay for free, according to the amended Integration Ordinance, for up to 3 months, in comparison to 2 months as prescribed by the previous version of the Ordinance. Beneficiaries of international protection have to pay a rental fee after that period.

The rental fee to be paid by the beneficiaries differs from one centre to another, as follows:^[7]

After this period the rental fees may be covered by NGOs through the implemented projects. JRS and AIDRom mentioned that this is paid until the beneficiary receives the non-refundable financial aid. This was also done in 2023, however at least for some civil society actors, notably JRS Romania, this was impacted by the end of AMIF funding in October 2023, and since then BIPs have not been given such support due to the lack of funding. LADO/ASSOC stated that the period for which they may cover the cost of rent depends on several factors, namely: how long the beneficiary chooses to stay in the centre, how much money he/she has left according to the budget allocated by the project, as it is possible that he/she previously benefitted from some medical services or the translation of some personal documents given that the money for these expenses is provided from the same budget.^[8]

It should be noted that taking the amount of non-refundable aid, after paying rent, it is practically impossible to reach the resources for minimum living.[9]

In Şomcuta Mare, after the 90 days that beneficiaries of international protection are allowed to stay for free, ASSOC covers the rental for at least 2 months.^[10]

In Rădăuţi, ICAR Foundation pays the rental fee for another two months. As a result, the beneficiary has to pay for rent only after 5 months after obtaining international protection.

In addition to this, JRS implemented the project “A New House” for BIPS who are in the integration programme and who live outside the reception centres, funded through the AMIF national programme. The programme partially or entirely covers the rental fees and/or the utility costs for beneficiaries of international protection. However, it had to be interrupted in October 2023 due to the lack of AMIF funding nationally available, and the new project could only be resumed in June 2024.

Social housing

According to the law, beneficiaries of international protection have the right to access the social housing scheme under the same conditions as Romanian citizens.^[11]

After the integration programme is completed or when a job opportunity has been identified, IGI-DAI guides the assisted person to the community where there are vacancies and informs them on how to get a social home under the conditions set in the law.^[12]

Local public administration authorities have the obligation to ensure, within the limits of available resources, social housing for persons who have acquired a form of protection in Romania and who are to move to the respective community under the same conditions as the Romanian citizens, even if they have not established their domicile or residence in that area.^[13]

If the local public administration authorities cannot provide a social home, the beneficiary may rent housing within the respective local community.^[14] IGI-DAI subsidises up to 50% of the rent, subject to availability of funding, for a maximum period of one year.^[15] In 2022 and 2023,^[16] no beneficiary benefitted from this aid.

Timișoara: Requests for social housing have been submitted, but until now no one has benefited from this. The local public administration authority has no social houses available; the list of requests for social housing is endless. In order to benefit from financial aid from IGI-DAI for the rent, beneficiaries have to prove that they have requested social housing and they have to have a rental contract registered at the tax authorities. According to the director of the Regional Centre Timișoara, in 2022, IGI-DAI granted subsidies (50% of the rent) to a single case.

In Rădăuţi, this provision was applied in practice for the first time in 2021. IGI-DAI granted subsidies to a family. In 2022 this was not applied.

In Bucuresti, Galati, Giurgiu and Şomcuta Mare: This provision has never been applied in practice. In Şomcuta Mare, Galaţi, Giurgiu and Rădăuţi they request assistance under the aforementioned project “A New House” run by JRS.

^[1] Article 21(1) Integration Ordinance.

^[2] Article 21(2) Integration Ordinance.

^[3] Article 21(5) Integration Ordinance. The rental fee is established at local level for the living facilities which are in the state’s or territorial / administrative unit’s property.

^[4] Article 34(2) and (3) Integration Ordinance. IGI-DAI may provide accommodation in its centres to vulnerable persons that do not require specialised assistance and who cannot benefit from a home from the institutions ability within the space and funds available. For well-founded reasons, the IGI-DAI may extend the integration program for these persons.

[5] Practice based observation by JRS Romania, April 2024.

^[6] Article 21(2) Integration Ordinance.

^[7] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.

^[8] Information provided by LADO/ASSOC, 20 February 2023

[9] Practice based observation by JRS Romania, April 2024.

^[10] Information provided by LADO/ASSOC, 3 February 2022.

^[11] Article 20(1)(q) Asylum Act.

^[12] Article 28 Integration Ordinance.

^[13] Article 29(1) Integration Ordinance.

^[14] Article 29(2) Integration Ordinance.

^[15] Article 29(3) Integration Ordinance.

^[16] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.