Right to Adequate Housing and Western Balkans – from idea to implementation

We are aware that the right to adequate housing and affordable housing are insofar mostly
unknown concepts in the Western Balkans, even though the Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights and European Social Charter clearly state the right to adequate housing as an
inalienable part of social rights. More than 100 countries around the world have adopted the right
to adequate housing in their legal system, be it in their constitution or legislature. The Platform
for Development of Adequate Housing in Montenegro intends to constitutionalize the right to
adequate housing by creating a citizen’s initiative. The right to housing is part of the Right to City
Agenda, which itself is an integral part of the Agenda UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. Therefore, it is pertinent that the decision makers in the Western Balkan region
understand the need for fostering and promoting of this human right.

We understand that the liberalization of market during the 1990s sharply changed the way the
housing policy was implemented in the Western Balkans region. Most countries adopted laws
which created very simple and affordable procedures for tenants to buy their apartments from
the state. A vast majority of the population has used this process in order to obtain ownership,
but at the same time, it severely decreased the state’s interest to be involved in the housing
policy. The percentage of state-owned housing units, for example, decreased from 31% to 15%
in Slovenia and 24% to 1.5% in Serbia1.

We recognize that the transition from the “housing for all” system to housing as a market
commodity was sudden, and as the standard of living and purchasing power parity kept lowering
and are still decreasing, the governments of Western Balkan countries have started mostly to
focus on social housing, predominantly for vulnerable social groups and low-income families. Few
affordable housing projects and innovations have been presented and later implemented in the
whole region; hence we see this as an important opportunity to address existing issues and
instigate amends in the housing policy field.

1 Jas?ovic?, Radmila et al, Socijalna stambena politika u Crnoj Gori na lokalnom nivou, ADP-Zid, 2019, p. 10

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Platforma za razvoj adekvatnog stanovanja u Crnoj Gori
Platform for Development of Adequate Housing in Montenegro

As housing presents one of the key components for sustainability of a community, for a region
that is experiencing low fertility rates, brain drain and high unemployment rates, it is adamant to
hold discussions between the public and civil sectors in order to find tangible solutions. As the
housing policy is in almost complete jurisdiction of local authorities, local housing strategies must
be amended and better aligned with the needs of the community.

We firmly believe that ensuring the viability of adequate housing in the region is possible via
innovative models. This gathering of regional and national actors will serve as a forum for
discussing various models of development for the adequate housing policies. Some models, like
CLT (Community Land Trust) where a landlord entrusts his land for the construction of affordable
housing, establishment of an independent housing fund funded by various sources (public, private
or civil sector or international donors), creation of social rental housing agencies which mobilizes
the private sector and many other will be presented and discussed about. We will discuss the
current situation in the region regarding housing policy, identify issues that are prevailing and
pertained in the whole region, and make a clear set of guidelines and recommendations to be
used for national and local authorities in future implementation of housing policy.