Social Monitor: More than half of families with children in Romania live in over crowded houses

One out ot ten Romanians live in exetremely precarious houses and most families with children live in over crowded houses, according to an Official Monitor infograph , a project by Frederich-Eber-Stiftung Romania released on Tuesday.   “Romania is among EU countries with the highest population percentage living in very precarious conditions. 9.6% of the country's population is experiencing severe deprivation, according to official Eurostat data for 2023-2024. The housing deprivation rate is defined as the population percentage that lives in over crowded houses, and has at least one of the following characteristics: leaking roof, no bathroom/shower, indoor toilet or a house considered too dark. At that chapter Romania is exceeded only by Latvia where 11.5% of people is recorded as living in severe living conditions. Other EU states with high population percentages that live in very precarious conditions are Greece (6.9% of people), Bulgaria (6%), Portugal (6%), Italy (5.8%). At the opposite pole we find Malta (0.5%), Ireland (0.9%) and Finland (1%)”, according to the mentioned source. According to the Social Monitor, in Romania 9.6% of people living in housing deprivation is dropping, compared to previous years when it was even higher: 19.8% in 2015 and 14.2% in 2020.   One of the most common problems facing the Romanians when it comes to living is overcrowding: 59.3% of families with children in Romania live in over crowded houses, the highest percentage in EU member states. High numbers are recorded in Bulgaria – 52.9% and Latvia 52.2%. At the opposite pole we find the Neherlands (6.2% of families with children live in over crowded houses), Malta (5%) and Cyprus (3.8%).   For the sanitary elements Romania does not have a better situation: 13.9% of people have no bathroom, shower or toilet with water , compared to Latvia (5.2%), Bulgaria (4.7%) and Lithuania (4.5%).   In order to solve the serious housing problems facing certain categories of people, the authorities should invest in social housing in a higher pathe than at present, says the mentioned source.   According to the Social Monitor, the National Housing Strategy 2022-2050 should be reformulated to include public housing as strategic solution to overcrowing and insalubrity problems.   Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) – Romanian branch was set up in 1994 to promote democracy, the rule of law and social justice and to accompany Romania's integration in EU. FES Romania collaborates with a broad network of Romanian partner organizations, offering political education and counseling by means of training, conferences, analyses and researches. Moreover, it backs the dialogie between interested parties in Romania and experts from Germany and other European countries to make an exchange of good practices and to approach joint challenges.