ZAGREB, 3 Dec 2021 - Associations for people with disabilities on Friday called for a law that will regulate social housing and ensure a sufficient number of flats for the disabled who cannot pay market rent prices.

On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, several associations, supported by the disability ombudsman, forwarded an appeal to the government for a law to be adopted on social housing which is something they have been calling for, for years.

Croatia does not have any organised housing for disabled persons or any regulations in that regard. The associations said that over the past few years, several social measures were adopted but without any significant positive impact.

"Flat rent prices have increased and many beneficiaries of guaranteed minimum allowances have been on waiting lists for public housing for years," Marica Mirić said on behalf of the associations.

It is much harder for disabled persons to afford housing or rentals and often they are discriminated against.

State real-estate should be earmarked for social housing

Findings of a survey, conducted among people with disabilities about housing, were presented today.

They show that 97.5% of the respondents believe that the state should adopt an appropriate legal framework for social housing while 84.2% said that "their needs have partially, or not been satisfied in light of their earnings in households."

Too low an income as an obstacle regarding housing issues was cited by 51.1% of respondents while 61% said that up to HRK 1,000 a month would be an acceptable price for rent.

As much as 66.7% consider that Croatia needs to build more social housing units and 60.5% consider that state-owned real-estate should be earmarked for social housing.

European Commission and Parliament: Finance social housing

The European Commission's Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030 calls on member states to promote and ensure financing for appropriate social housing that takes account of disability issues including elderly disabled persons, and to deal with the problems faced by the homeless and disabled persons.

Last year saw a rapid increase in real-estate prices hence accessibility to affordable housing continues to be a challenge.

The European Parliament has called on member states to recognise appropriate housing to be a fundamental human right and that this should be incorporated in legislation.

An online international panel discussion was held to mark the international day of the disabled presenting a comparison of housing opportunities for the disabled in Croatia, the EU and the region.

It was said that housing in Croatia is implemented through existing laws and that it would be worthwhile to adopt a comprehensive law at the national level.

Croatia doesn't treat social housing as a fundamental human right

Gojko Bežovan from the Zagreb Faculty of Law underscored that Croatia has ignored the issue of social housing. We have strategies in all other fields except for social housing which is a fundamental human right, he said.

He underscored that the EU, like Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina all have laws on social housing and other regulations in that regard. 

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ZAGREB, 3 Dec 2021 -  Deputy Parliament Speaker Željko Reiner sent a message on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Friday, recalling that more than half a million disabled persons live in Croatia.

The disabled account for 12% of the total population, which is almost three times the population of Split, Reiner said in his message.

"It is up to us to ensure that disabled persons have access to all civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights," Reiner said at the start of Friday's sitting of the Sabor.

"May marking this day fulfil its objective and contribute to improving the quality of life for disabled persons, alleviate the consequences of their social exclusion and raise public awareness of their presence in the community and of the problems they encounter," Reiner said, recalling some of the steps Parliament has taken to assist disabled persons.

Following a motion by MP Ljubica Lukačić (HDZ), since October 2017 plenary sessions of the Sabor that are aired on the public television HRT have been interpreted in sign language, and the rostrum has been adapted for disabled MPs.

Reiner recalled that Croatia was the third country in the world to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. "That shows the ability and need of Croatian society to ensure equal opportunities for this special vulnerable section of the population."

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