Sem-teto

The housing situation of Roma communities

Published in Wednesday March 20th, 2013

Roma are more likely to live in poverty than non-Roma citizens. They have a higher risk of unemployment, stay in school for fewer years, and many live without access to drinking water, sanitation and electricity. Roma are more likely to suffer from chronic illness and have less access to health services. UNDP works with national partners to promote inclusion of Roma into economic, social, political and community life and in this publication they analyze the housing situation in Roma communities and the discrepancies regarding their non-Roma neighbors.

Hungary accused of persecution of the poor

Published in Wednesday March 20th, 2013 In Social movement news

In Autumn 2010, the Hungarian Law on Constructions was amended to allow municipalities to ban homeless people from public spaces. The Hungarian Parliament imposed a $700 fine or jail upon those who repeatedly broke municipal laws regarding “residential habitation in public spaces.” Although this law was ruled unconstitutional by the Hungarian Constitutional Court, the Hungarian Prime Minister has announced that the government intends to prohibit street homelessness in the country’s constitution. This has attracted significant international attention and criticism, and highlights key issues affecting people affected by poverty and homelessness.

Homeless at Lakewood’s Tent City will be offered indoor housing instead of evicted

Published in Monday March 18th, 2013 In In the media

An encampment of homeless people in the woods near the Jersey shore will gradually be phased out as its 80 or so occupants are given at least a year of housing under an agreement reached today. The deal would eliminate the need for Lakewood’s so-called Tent City and end a seven-year dispute about local governments’ responsibility to care for the poor.

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Stop all forced evictions in Badia East, Lagos (Nigeria)

Published in Thursday March 14th, 2013 In Mobilisation and agenda

As we speak hundreds of people are being forcibly evicted from their homes in Badia East Lagos, Nigeria. Thousands more families are at risk of eviction. Take action and tell the Lagos state governor to stop the evictions now. Click here to help!

Cambodian Police Beat Eviction Protesters

Published in Wednesday March 13th, 2013 In In the media

Cambodian police beat demonstrators who marched to the prime minister’s house Wednesday to protest being evicted from their homes, a confrontation that highlights how contentious the issue of land grabbing is this election year.

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Lagos, Nigeria: Where housing is a luxury

Published in Wednesday March 13th, 2013 In Social movement news

Lagos has over 10 million inhabitants – most of whom are constantly struggling for adequate housing. With an ever-increasing population, a decent place to live has become a luxury for Lagos’s poor majority. Click here to watch a newsclip from YouTube featuring Friday Ogunyemi and the aftermath of the forced eviction.

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Restituting the land to the Endorois People: a 40-year process

Published in Saturday March 9th, 2013 In Social movement news

In November 2012, members of the Adjudication Working Group at ESCR-Net facilitated a strategic meeting with leaders of the Endorois community in Kenya, focused on advancing full implementation of the unprecedented recommendations issued by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights regarding the evictions. The meeting brought together human rights lawyers, activists, and academics from Kenya, South Africa and the US with expertise on enforcement of court decisions.

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Statement Against the Continued Persecution and Criminalisation of Homeless People in Hungary

Published in Tuesday March 5th, 2013 In Social movement news

FEANTSA calls on the Hungarian government to withdraw its proposed amendment to the Hungarian Constitution that will make it possible to fine, arrest and imprison people who are sleeping rough because they have no other options in a vote on 4 March 2013.

Constitutional Revenge

Published in Tuesday March 5th, 2013 In Opinion

The Hungarian government is now seeking revenge for the various defeats it has suffered by introducing into the Parliament a 15-page constitutional amendment that reverses its losses. The mega-amendment is a toxic waste dump of bad constitutional ideas, many of which were introduced before and nullified by the Constitutional Court or changed at the insistence of European bodies. The new constitutional amendment (again) kills off the independence of the judiciary, brings universities under (even more) governmental control, opens the door to political prosecutions, criminalizes homelessness, makes the recognition of religious groups dependent on their cooperation with the government and weakens human rights guarantees across the board. Moreover, the constitution will now buffer the government from further financial sanctions by permitting it to take all fines for noncompliance with the constitution or with European law and pass them on to the Hungarian population as special taxes, not payable by the normal state budget.

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We are not asking for free housing

Published in Monday February 25th, 2013

On the 19th January 2013, homeless activists and their allies squatted an empty building in the 7th district of Budapest. The activists were arrested and now face misdemeanor charges because of disobeying police instructions.

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