Collective complaint: FEANTSA v Czech Republic. Collective Complaint No. 191/ 2020.
The complaint
FEANTSA's collective complaint against the Czech Republic in 2020 highlighted a failure to respect the right of families to social, legal and economic protection (Article 16 of the Charter), which includes the right to housing and more specifically:
- ongoing threats to the security of tenure and risk of eviction for poor households, in particular from the Roma minority;
- the inadequate supply of social housing, the ineffectiveness of judicial remedies in this regard and disproportionate reductions in housing supplements;
- intensification of social and racial discrimination, including territorial segregation of Roma;
The decision
In a landmark decision, the European Committee of Social Rights has unequivocally condemned the Czech Republic for its deficient housing policy, which violates the European Social Charter. The ruling, delivered in September 2024, follows a collective complaint submitted by FEANTSA (European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless) in 2020. The Committee's findings reveal serious shortcomings in the protection of vulnerable groups, particularly in relation to evictions, the provision of social housing and systemic discrimination against the Roma community.
For more details or comments, please contact:
- Maria Jose Aldanas, Policy Officer at FEANTSA: email hidden; JavaScript is required or +32485328305.
- Senada Sali, Legal Director at ERRC: email hidden; JavaScript is required or +32497676012
- Maros Matiasko, senior legal counsel and co-founder of the Forum for Human Rights: email hidden; JavaScript is required or +420608130205
- Petr Schovanek, Communication Coordinator at Platform for Social Housing, email hidden; JavaScript is required or +420 776 466 682
Notes for Editors:
- FEANTSA is the European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless. It is the only European non-governmental organisation focusing exclusively on homelessness at a European level.
- Platforma pro sociální bydlení – Platform for social housing is a member of FEANTSA and currently operate as a research, advocacy, and advisory team focused on housing issues and ending homelessness in the Czech Republic.
- The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) is a Roma-led international public interest law organisation working to combat anti-Romani racism and human rights abuse of Roma through strategic litigation, research and policy development, advocacy and human rights education.
- FORUM is a Central European legal non-governmental organisation focusing on international human rights litigation and advocacy in Central Europe.