NOTES from the East-European meeting in Budapest June 4-6, 1999

Transcription

1 NOTES from the East-European meeting in Budapest June 4-6, 1999 Present: Secretariat Czech Republic Special guest Magnus Hammar, Ulla Hildén Mehmeololija Huremovic, Ljubomir J Jurak, Irsam Omerspahic Marijan Babic, Slavko Trumbic, Sanja Mahac Milan Taraba, Tomas Nielsen Tönu Kauba Pal Battha, Markus Gabor, Andrea Gadoczi Ludwika Bonarewicz, Marta Kotnowska Aurelia Paula Rosca, Emil Capusan Nic Nilsson 1. Opening Magnus Hammar welcomed to the meeting and a special welcome to that was present for the first time. Magnus said that this was the first meeting to run inside IUT since he started May 31 and seemed to be slight different approach to my earlier work where I worked with information. I have as speciality chemistry and biology in my education. I have worked inside UN Association of Sweden. For the future I will give you four of my visions: 1. To set up IUT home-page. I will try to find funds to help IUT-members with Internet. 2. Individual members, IUT has to be known by the local associations. 3. IUT has to be more active in Brussels with housing and tenure. 4. Try to celebrate the International tenants day, first Monday of October. During the Habitat in Nairobi we can get closer connection and spread this to the member organisations, media and public. 2. Practical aspects Magnus Hammar suggested that we use the first name of each other and that we mix the reports with other things at the agenda. 3. Housing policies in central- and Easter Europe Magnus Hammar suggested that the participants discuss in workgroups positive and negative views on privatisation according to the experience. Privatisation - + Unexpected costs of renovation. 1. The right for the tenant to buy 2. No feeling with real ownership 2. Emotional feeling of possessing - safety 3. Unequal rights 3. A small condominium is maintained properly 4. Insufficient maintenance fund 4. Favourable prices (for some tenants) 5. Renovation lack of money 6. Lack of tenure and ownership

2 security 7.No mobility 8. The state gives up responsibility Comments The tenants ask for privatisation. The society has the responsibility for the people. The person who lives in the flat should have the first hand to buy. Until 1991 of flats, 80 % was ownership, 20 % owns by the state. Every year there is built , private and by the state. During the war 50 % was destroyed, flats. Lot of people are refugees not to able to move to their own flat. There is a experiment in the country. Two basic pillars, based on new construction affordable for young general supported from the state. Our organisation plays an important role. - Restitution The right gives to the owner to get their flats and get them without tenants. Old tenants habitat in the flats belongs to the state. Tenants can stay but have to pay money for the flat. Many owners take back their houses but it is not possible when you cannot take out the tenants from the flat. They could not select who the tenant would be. If the house was finished 1939 then the owner was in debt, took loan that he never paid backed, now he claims that he is the right owner of the house. They emigrated, get compensation properly in and then they come back after many years and want their houses and they get it back. 90 % of the houses was renovated with our taxes. Much is very alike in. The state don t know which the owners are. The sell out if they are interested in renovating. Many tenants live without normal contract. After the war were flats nationalised. Local authorities has removed the tenants and has to pay them.2/3, 4.000, was sold and was giving a new flat. 300 flats was nationalised. These were not resituated The restitution was not so huge and had focus on the emigrants. This has been quite simple, all the confiscated was taken away. Disposition to the tenants to buy them. They who not have bought them was given to the previous owner and if this owner does not exist the next relative will have it. There are some exeptions. Now the problem is

3 that the state has reimbursed the owners. The tenant has permanent right to live in his flat and protected rent. In 1997 they prepared a law for federation there was a reform where they were paid for 80 % of the value. There are different conditions with between They who lived there has tenants right but it is not treated in any law. There has not been any final decision. The dwelling problem was settled but now it is different because of new aspects. More than 4 million flats is not repaired. The heating and electricity have been privatised. - housing allowances You have to pay 2 million forints for flats for three children. Tenants or new owners in flats are in bad situation, they have very limited allowances, they can get per month There are two groups, social houses and for houses. Rental allowances is given to tenants earning not more than 6 times the minimum. Heating support determined limits. Housing allowances is not for tenants, socially weak. Special allowances for constructions. Credit or loan without any interest, value 2,5 million Czech pounds. Companies to deduct rents. We have allowances but it is inefficient. The bigger flats, the smaller allowances and it is changing constantly. Half of the people cannot have it, they earn too much and have too big flats. t We they have no special allowances. Bosnia-and Herzegovina Before 1992 existed some programme for them who need support. In Sarajevo they have allowances for gas in the winter. See the enclosure. - investment and new construction : 0 from state, I don t know from private sector. : with free rent, condominiums restoration from the war area, private houses. : flats houses in the country.

4 : Private flats, rental housing, rest is co-operative Reconstruction and damages during the war. No new flats. : About villas the last 5 years. See the enclosure. Fresh scandal information The biggest state bank in announced loans for housing flats get their contract with the bank cancelled. Interest of the loans was from 6 to 23 % The state offered the people a choice, if they pay half back they don t have to pay any more. That was no draft that LABE could join. - landlord/tenants rights and obligations Have you a law about tenant/landlords and their duties. Yes we have this law. We have not to represent in the tribunal. Propose in the tribunal only charge with the dwelling questions. Defend the owners. No rent tribunal, bad law, yes housing law. Yes a housing law. We have a law corrected one years ago. What is not in the law it doesn t exist. Second kind of rent, free rent conditions. No special law, because the state owner flats has not been rented. Special occasion, special regulation between tenant and owner. Part of civil court, preparing a bill law on renting. We have a good one. - others

5 In the beginning of flats was deficit of dwellings. See enclosure. 4. reports from the member organisations See enclosure from the countries. 5. Development of the tenant organisations - registrations - seminars - meeting, conferences and congresses - condominium-members - local activities Registrated members, about in, Tartu 600 No congress or conference last year Members of condominium: Tartu about 5-6 %. Membership fee: Tartu, payment for visiting 5-50 krons. Registration members: Difficult Membership fee: 6 dollars per year, many cannot pay Lot of seminars Czech Republic Structure, central body Reports to the central body, part of fee Membership fee: 200 for employed and 100 for unemployed per year. Social bad conditions Central body get 10 % fee Applied for collective for trade unions and pays a special fee and give them legal advises. 15 associations with trade Union. Together members 56 legal advisers. Planning one office with employed personal in every town. We organise seminars for the public where we don t have members, they will be registered after the meetings. 52 seminars last year. Regional conference after two years. We will also be acting members of IUT. : 8 seminars 3 meeting with different level No condominium members Activities: 2000 answers in daily newspapers, they give us 4 pages. Letters to protect the tenants against taxes. Collaboration with newspapers, tv, radio. See the enclosure.

6 4. Housing rights security of tenure campaign from UNCHS Nic Nilsson said that he hope that you will translate this when coming home, valuable instrument in discussion with the government. Remind them of this, respective what they say, why should we have UN for. Part 66 Secure of tenure Czech See enclosure Started two tv programmes, national wide. Once a week we present our legal advisers in the newspapers. Publish in regional newspapers. We made a press-conference. 30 journalists. Happy that the minister of housing took our advisers to the committee. June 30 meeting of ministers with our representatives. Seminars in the end of the year to be more attractive to the membership. New platform for the youth. 5. News from Board-meetings in October 98 and April 99 Nic Nilsson reported from the meeting in Cologne that the n question if they can be members in spite they are most owners has been discussed at a board-meeting. The Board decided to take this to next Congress. The Congress 2000 Revision of the statues of IUT. Discussed in Cologne if the goals should be changed. The Board will formulate the goals. According to the goals and they will propose about condominiums. Will be ready to spring next year. A cross road where it is different ways to take East-Western Europe to a European organisation. Magnus Hammar reported from the meeting in Paris that the Swedish president Jan Dannemann will retire from the Swedish organisation. We don t know yet if he will retire from the presidency of IUT. Shall we find a president outside Sweden? It is practical to have it in Sweden but perhaps not the most democratic way. IUT is member of European Housing Forum. EU is not interested in Housing, not at the agenda. We cannot speak with anybody, we are not alone, also other actors are in the same situation. We want someone to speak with. Initiative from homeless people that they created the European Housing Forum, ngo. We applied but they didn t want tenants. After a lobbing year we got members. There are banks for mortgage, reporters a.s.o. and representatives from commission, three of the directorates, one have the task to representing housing. The board also discussed the theme the year for the elderly, seminar in Kuopio in Finland. Elderly is an vulnerable group as members. Future of IUT, the scheme pointed out Europe as one and America, Asia and Africa as others. Congress will be in the Netherlands, Amsterdam. September 30-October 2. Bosnia Herzegovina See enclosure and material that was given at the meeting. 8. Applications for grants from Olof Palme International Center Nic Nilsson said that most of you know we use OPC for our purpose. The application for next year should be in August 15. They usually make priorities, they cannot help all countries.

7 This time they help the Baltic see countries. The Czech Republic have some water running out to the Baltic see even if they have long way to go. When it will be peace in Balkan there will perhaps be extra money for Bosnia and. Last year we got money for project in Latvia., Africa India Czech Republic and. The Secretariat has to make applications, we need input from the applicants. Czech Republic and Latvia will have a second year. If you have more seminars the secretariat will have information about that. We cannot promise a single penny we will promise to get applications for you. It s a greater chance to get money. We need an organisational project. To strengthen the organisation, public relations. Magnus Hammar In the future you have a lot of seminars, perhaps it can be computer skills. We need your ideas before June Other Business Magnus Hammar told that he will make a homepage and will put all the pages in the same way. Statement The meeting decided to make a statement, enclosure. 10 Conclusions Magnus Hammar thanked the participants and especially to the people that had made this meeting in a very nice way. At the computer Ulla Hildén