PRO M OTING R E FU G E E I NT E G RAT I O N A ND I NC LU SI ON : E M P OW E R I N G M U N I C I PA L I T I E S AC R OSS E U R OP E
Country
Poland
Bulgaria
Italy
26
Municipalities
Multiple, in the
Mazowieckie,
Świętokrzyskie,
Podkarpackie,
Małopolskie,
Silesia, Lubelskie
voivodeships
(provinces).
Nation-wide
Bari, Milan,
Naples, Palermo,
Rome, Turin,
Bologna, Genoa,
Ravenna
Area
Affordable
Housing
Solutions
Housing
Holistic
integration
support
P R O MOT IN G R E FUGE E IN T EG R ATIO N AN D IN C LUSIO N : EMP OWE R IN G MUN IC IPAL ITIES ACROS S EUROPE
In short
UNHCR in partnership with Habitat for Humanity support
national and local governments to increase their capacity to
offer secure, cost-effective, and dignified housing solutions
to vulnerable populations in Poland. This partnership
endeavours to empower Poland to effectively address
housing issues and facilitate the integration of refugees
through sustainable housing solutions.
National-level mapping of the state of municipal housing
stock and making information and related analysis publicly
available on a ’Municipal Housing’ Platform.
Integration Charter – signed by cities committed to the
social, cultural, and economic integration of asylum seekers
and refugees. Signed first by six major Italian cities: Bari,
Milan, Naples, Palermo, Rome, and Turin and later by the
municipalities of Bologna, Genoa, and Ravenna.
Spazio Comune are “integration hubs” created with the
goal of bringing key local institutions and service providers
together to help refugees access information and services
to plan their integration into Italian society.
UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR EUROPE, AUGUST 2024
Further detail
The partnership focuses on:
•
increasing the availability of social rental apartments while training, mentoring and fostering collaboration among
local authorities and organizations. By advocating for the wider application of the Social Rental Agency (SRA)
model, this partnership aspires to contribute to the mitigation of housing challenges faced by persons in need of
housing in Poland, including refugees;
•
conducting research on private sector-driven affordable housing models and/or temporary housing solutions and
identifying key enabling requirements, such as necessary legislative changes or potential incentive schemes.
At the end of 2022, Shelter for Humanity Foundation/Habitat Bulgaria in collaboration with the Ministry of Regional
Development and Public Works (MRDP) conducted a study of the management of the municipal housing stock in
Bulgaria, obtaining data from all 265 municipalities in Bulgaria, including all district administrations of Sofia Municipality.
The report revealed that close to 40% of Bulgaria’s housing stock is unoccupied, while municipalities own only 0,8% of
all housing units in the country.
By identifying priorities and commitments from cities, the Charter aims to strengthen collaboration between
municipalities on refugees’ integration, encouraging the exchange of practices and the development of new services
and new initiatives. Municipalities and UNHCR meet regularly in a working group to address common issues, and a
national joint event is organized once a year. UNHCR has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the
National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI), which will promote the signature of the Charter by further
municipalities.
Spazio comune are led by Municipalities, with the support of UNHCR. Integration Charter (IC) signatory cities have
been encouraged to join the programme, and centres are now open in Bari, Naples, Rome, Turin and Milan. Spazio
Comune centres host legal, municipal registration, employment, healthcare, and housing services or information points.
They also host UNHCR projects Community Matching, PartecipAzione, Welcome88, Community Outreach Volunteers,
and facilitate connections to other projects and services. Under the model, municipalities develop a governance
system to streamline intake, case management and referrals, aiming to ensure holistic attention to the needs of each
person or family.
UNHCR REGIONAL BUREAU FOR EUROPE, AUGUST 2024
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