Separate, Unequal and Hazardous: The essential guide to Roma housing in Slovakia By Marek Szilvasi The right to adequate housing is a fundamental right and a crucial prerequisite for a decent life and personal development. The record of Slovak authorities on providing adequate housing for its citizens is dismal and Roma are disproportionately affected by this failure. The Slovak Anti-Poverty Network argues that “housing and the protection of the right to housing is the weakest component of public policies”. 1 There is a shortage of affordable accommodation; despite the growing number of applicants for social housing, public authorities rarely build new flats, and the number of flats available for rent is low and falls way short of the demand. Programs promoting social mix (more affluent social classes living with the poorer) are entirely missing. According to a government report on the implementation of the State Housing Strategy until 2015, just 2.7 per cent of all flats are owned by municipalities and the state. This is in stark contrast to other EU states, where the share of flats owned by the state is 18 per cent on average. 2 There are 8.5 social housing units available per 1000 people in Slovakia. 3 There is a plenty of evidence that many Roma in Slovakia live in poor and segregated settlements which are characterised by substandard or extremely substandard housing, a prevalence of environmental hazards including toxic industrial waste, rubbish tips, floods, and intermingling of waste and drinking water. However, what is shocking about the new surveys is the sheer magnitude of the problem which adversely affects tens of thousands of Slovak Roma. Where are we now? Damning evidence of deep crisis about:blank 1 of 4 4/11/2018, 4:37 PM