The right for adequate living is one of the basic human rights. Exercise of the right depends on specific possibilities offered by a state. The situation of marginalized groups in Slovakia is complicated mainly because of their low awareness and influence on their own rights; they do not have sufficient capacities and space for participation when solving the problem.
In March 2009, the Open Society Foundation in cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Slovakia started the project „Advocacy of Marginalized Group Housing Situation“. The projects’ goal is to identify local leaders, initiate a dialogue among relevant stakeholders, identify gaps in the capacities/institutions, which deal with housing problem in a particular locality and share experience and best practices in 5 localities (Košice, Michalovce, Hnúšťa, Stará Ľubovňa, Veľký Krtíš). One of the scheduled activities is conducting extended evaluation of the council dwellings in Roma Settlements Program. It should identify and disseminate the good practices of Roma community housing in local policies as an instrument of living conditions improvement.
