By Jaona Trinidade and Inês Santos
Insights from a One-Month Observation and Study of Inclusion in Social Housing in Serbia
Our one-month secondment in Serbia provided valuable insights into the current practices and challenges of social inclusion within the country’s social housing framework.
First of all, we consider it very important to understand the diverse historical, social, economic, and geographical contexts that shape social inclusion for vulnerable populations in social and non-profit housing. Recognizing these differences allows for the development of more tailored approaches to address the specific needs of each country. For this reason, it was essential for us to deepen our understanding of the ethnic context of former Yugoslavia and to explore potential insights into social inclusion housing policies today.
The interim report prepared by the Serbian team for the DASH project generated significant interest, particularly regarding the Law on Housing and Building Maintenance. This law, amongst many other things, outlines eight categories of individuals eligible for housing support, including: those experiencing homelessness, victims of domestic violence, individuals receiving cash benefits under social protection laws, veterans and people with disabilities, individuals unable to afford market-rate housing, and key workers identified by local government bodies.
During our DASH visit to Čačak, we toured three different social housing projects, guided by Brankica Jelić from the City Housing Agency Čačak (CHAC). We learned that some projects aimed to include Bosnian and Herzegovinian refugees, war veterans – both with and without disabilities – and families of deceased combatants. These projects also aimed to include members of the Roma population, victims of domestic violence, and youth leaving the care system. This experience highlighted key challenges in understanding the ethnic and religious complexities of the former Yugoslavia – complexities that influence the interpretation of categories relevant to social inclusion. While there are undoubtedly many layers of complexity involved in addressing these questions, they could provide important insights for us. We see an opportunity to draw parallels with the Portuguese context, particularly when it comes to further research into inclusive urban and housing solutions that go hand-in-hand with historical reparation and social justice.
Credits for images: Inês Santos
Initial Reflection on the Portuguese Historical and Social Context
Portugal’s historical and social context provides valuable insights into contemporary social inclusion issues. Migration from rural areas to urban and coastal regions is one factors relevant to understanding contemporary challenges: we are today facing desertification in the interior villages of Portugal and, on another hand, an over-concentration of people in the cities and littoral, where many people face housing insecurity. Meanwhile the legacy of colonization has created persistent social inequalities, segregation and marginalization of racialized populations. Centuries of exploitation in African territories and the stubborn refusal by a dictatorship to let go of the country’s colonial empire resulted in the 13-year Portuguese Colonial War, which left long-lasting scars on society. These historical factors have heightened the social vulnerability of racialized Afro-descendant and Black individuals, whether they are Portuguese or migrants in Portugal, further complicating efforts toward social cohesion.
Possible Correlations between Social and Historical Variables in the Contexts of Serbia and Portugal
Both countries have experienced significant territorial and demographic readjustment at a certain moment in their history: the former Yugoslavia was divided and many people had to move within its territory; and Portuguese ex-colonies became independent and many people had to move to Portugal. Further investigation is required to continue this discussion, but we see potential in exploring these shared histories, with DASH partners from Serbia in this specific case, or others from partner countries that want to join in.
Why a Future Collaboration among DASH Partners on this topic?
Developing a comparative analysis of local strategies for affordable housing can certainly give us a better understanding of a cooperatives’ role in public-private non-profit partnerships. However, we noticed that, when speaking to public entities, our interlocutors often found it difficult to describe how other countries’ public strategies (especially in relation to cooperative partnerships) could provide fruitful insights for different national contexts. When mentioning a policy scheme adopted in Germany or Denmark, for example, the answer tends to be “we can’t compare those countries with Portugal”. This is where fact-based, analytical comparisons can break the impasse and reveal interesting insights. Finally, we believe that collaboration with DASH partners, many of them experienced researchers, can offer a different kind of knowledge that will help us (as a non-profit organization involved in promoting affordable and safe housing) with our daily practice in the field.
