3.13.4.4. Housing
A limited or lack of social housing alternatives and a shortage of low-cost housing in local markets created impediments for beneficiaries of international protection to find accommodation.
In the Netherlands, COA moved a ship to Rotterdam to convert it to a transfer location for a maximum of 1,500 beneficiaries of international protection.937A dispersal mechanism for beneficiaries of international protection was implemented, with several challenges related to delays in obtaining the citizen service number (BSN number) and documents from the IND. A mismatch between the offer of accommodation in municipalities and the beneficiary’s needs contributed to significant challenges in reception (see Section 3.6).938Initiatives from previous years to facilitate finding accommodation for beneficiaries of international protection continued, such as the Hotel and Accommodation Regulation.939
The German Association of Cities and Municipalities was alarmed by the growing challenge of integrating an increased number of beneficiaries of international protection. The organisation highlighted that municipal services for reception (see Section 3.6) and integration were already overstretched, and for example, argued for changes to the financing of local integration activities.940
France launched two calls for projects from civil society organisations to offer innovative and experimental solutions for cohabitation and support for beneficiaries of international protection.941
Following previous initiatives implemented by different regions, the Belgian Interfederal Center for Equal Opportunities introduced new initiatives to detect and penalise discrimination within the housing sector, including those affecting beneficiaries of international protection. The initiatives will focus on comprehensive training for real estate agents and the introduction of mystery checks as of 2024.942
Among local initiatives, the city of Zagreb introduced amendments to its rules on social housing units and included refugees as potential beneficiaries, if they meet the conditions applied to other citizens of Croatia who are residents of Zagreb.943
Civil society organisations in Spain raised concerns about challenges in accessing accommodation by applicants and beneficiaries of international protection, mainly based on the lack of a housing policy which takes into consideration the specific circumstances of refugees, the impossibility of receiving tax deductions for renting a habitual residence to entities that will receive beneficiaries of international protection and the administrative barriers to register in the town census.944In this sense, CEAR highlighted that, despite the adoption of Law No 12/2023 on the Right of Housing in May 2023,945discriminatory behaviours continued in the housing market causing difficulties to find accommodation and contributing to the number of homeless among beneficiaries of international protection.946
- 937Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers | Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers. (2023, July 1). Ferry Silja Europa vaart 1 juli van Velsen naar Rotterdam [Ferry Silja Europa sails from Velsen to Rotterdam on 1 July].
- 938Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers | Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers. (2023, July 14). Tijdige koppeling statushouders aan gemeenten [Timely match between status holders and municipalities].
- 939European Union Agency for Asylum. (2023). Asylum Report 2023.
- 940German Association of Cities and Municipalities | Deutscher Städte- und Gemeindebund. (2024, January 3). Pressemitteilung: Migration ordnen, steuern und begrenzen [Organizing, controlling and limiting migration].
- 941Ministry of the Interior and Overseas | Ministère de l'Intérieur, & Ministry of the Interior and Overseas | Ministère de l'Intérieur et des outre-mer. (2023, December 26). Appel à projets visant à soutenir des solutions innovantes et expérimentales portées par des acteurs de la société civile en matière de cohabitation solidaire bénéficiant aux bénéficiaires de la protection internationale[Call for projects aimed at supporting innovative and experimental solutions carried out by civil society actors in the field of solidarity cohabitation benefiting beneficiaries of international protection]. https://www.immigration.interieur.gouv.fr/Asile/Les-appels-a-projets/Appel-a-projets-Cohabitation-solidaires
Interministerial Delegation for Accommodation and Access to Housing | Délégation interministérielle à l’hébergement et à l’accès au logement. (2024, March 15). La Dihal lance un nouvel appel à projets Cohabitations Solidaires en partenariat avec la Délégation interministérielle à l'accueil et à l'intégration des réfugiés [Dihal is launching a new call for Solidarity Cohabitation projects in partnership with the Interministerial Delegation for the reception and integration of refugees]. - 942European Commission (EC), European Website on Integration. (2023, November 20). Belgium: New and ongoing measures against housing discrimination. https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/news/belgium-new-and-ongoing-measures-against-housing-discrimination_en
- 943Odluka o najmu stanova (Službeni glasnik Grada Zagreba 32/23) Zaključak o visini najamnine za stanove kojima upravlja Grad Zagreb (Službeni glasnik Grada Zagreba 34/23) [Decision on renting apartments (Official Gazette of the City of Zagreb 32/23) Conclusion on the amount of rent for apartments managed by the City of Zagreb (Official Gazette of the City of Zagreb 34/23)], October 19, 2023.
- 944Convive - Foundation Cepaim | Convive - Fundación Cepaim. (2023). Input to the Asylum Report 2024.
- 945Ley 12/2023, de 24 de mayo, por el derecho a la vivienda [Law 12/2023, of 24 May, on the right to housing], May 26, 2023.
- 946Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid | Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado. (2023). Input to the Asylum Report 2024.