TOUR OF THE HABITAT WORLD SEEN BY CIVIL SOCIETY

Latvia

#Mots-clés : Dernière mise à jour le 7 June 2019

ELEMENTS OF CONTEXT

HISTORY

DEMOGRAPHY

SOCIO-ECONOMICAL CONTEXT

HABITAT

HISTORY OF CITIES – HERITAGE

URBAN HOUSING

RURAL HOUSING

RIGHT TO HOUSING

FORCED EVICTION

LAND RIGHTS

LAND GRABBING

VULNERABLE GROUPS

  • Homelessness
  • Joungpeople
  • Old people
  • Women

SOME INTERESTING PRACTICES

Social and economic aspects

HOUSING MARKET

According to INSEE, in 2007, 84% of Latvian households owned their homes (EU average = 65%).

QUALITY OF HOUSING

INFORMAL HOUSING / SLUM / HOMELESS

ROLE OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES

PUBLIC HOUSING

Definition and situation in 2012

Social housing in Latvia consists in ‘social houses’ and ‘social apartments’ rented by municipalities at affordable rents to vulnerable households. A social apartment is a municipally owned apartment, which is let out to a family who is recognized as entitled to rent the apartment. Contracts are concluded for a maximum of six months, and can be renewed if the household still complies with the conditions set by the municipality. Furthermore, social houses are municipally owned buildings with a special social status, where all apartments are social apartments. Social housing represents a minor part of the municipal stock, and only 0.4% of the national housing stock and it is concentrated in the larger cities.

How does it work ?

Social housing in Latvia is provided exclusively by municipalities. However some larger municipalities have created specific companies to carry out management and maintenance of the public stock.

Tenants pay a monthly rent which is very low, up to one third of the locally set municipal rent level. Often the municipality also subsidizes utility costs for the low-income households.

In Latvia, access criteria to social housing are specified in local decrees passed by the local municipalities, and the target population is low-income households. Tenants pay a monthly rent which is very low, up to one third of the locally set municipal rent level. Often the municipality also subsidizes utility costs for the low-income households.

Source : CECODHAS Report 2012

Cultural aspects – Religious – Symbolic

Environmental aspects

Bibliography & Sitography

MAJOR PROBLEMS BY CIVIL SOCIETY

CLAIMS MAJOR CIVIL SOCIETY

CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS

  • SOCIAL INTEGRATION CENTER = organization formed by volunteers whose objectives are: social integration into society, education – training, psychological assistance, material support as much as possible, the management of addictions (alcohol, drugs games, addiction, …). The audiences are the homeless, the unemployed, the disabled, and those with a very low pension subsistence or early retirement. Contact: email
  • PATVERUMS – DROSA MAJA (Shelter Safe House) = Association founded in 2007 and recognized for such public benefit organization. It works primarily to help refugees and ethnic minorities. Its purpose is to develop support services for victims of trafficking, legal migrants, including asylum seekers, refugees and people with a “subsidiary” protection. It seeks to enable individuals to receive adequate assistance and protection, with their rehabilitation and reintegration into society, provides support services to legal migrants, through training and cooperation with national and local government institutions. email or emailwebsite.