Aspects on Access to Housing for Young People Leaving the Protection System Cover Image

Aspecte privind accesul la locuințe al tinerilor care părăsesc sistemul de protecție
Aspects on Access to Housing for Young People Leaving the Protection System

Author(s): Vișinel Costel Balan, Ioana Boldiş
Subject(s): Public Administration, Sociology, Labour and Social Security Law
Published by: Institutul Român pentru Drepturile Omului
Keywords: social housing; Law no. 166/2002; deinstitutionalisation; abandonment; social exclusion;

Summary/Abstract: The perception of young people in the protection system on the transition to adulthood is marked by a strong concern for achieving educational and professional goals, as well as finding a house and starting a family. These four main categories of goals have been reported by young people in the protection system included in a recent study (Boldiș, 2020). The study shows that education and profession seem to represent alternatives, as well as interconnected elements in some cases, while it also suggests that there is a causal link between profession/job, housing and starting a family. Young people in the protection system believe that the possibility of buying or renting a house and starting a family is conditioned by having a stable job. Otherwise, several life goals are pursued alternatively or in parallel, while others are conditioned of achieving prior goals; for example, starting a family is partially tied to access to long-term housing. A brief analysis of the data shows a gap between legal provisions, opportunities created by the Romanian legislator for young people leaving the care system and existing initiatives at the county level. Although legal provisions to facilitate access to housing for youth living in care exist, they rarely benefit from them. These data highlight the need for coordination and connection between providers of services for youth leaving the protection system. More precisely, a coordinated systemic answer is needed to increase the effectiveness of the services offered in the aftercare period.

  • Issue Year: 2021
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 41-63
  • Page Count: 21
  • Language: Romanian