Indicator history

There are several positive initiatives that took place in Slovenia with a view to regularize Roma settlements which enables building of the infrastructure and improve the living conditions. In one case the municipality Krško in Dolenjska region amended its long-term spatial plan as a first step towards the regularization of the settlement. It reached an agreement with 35 owners of the land where the Roma settlement was situated to sell it to the municipality. In cooperation with the state, the status of the area was changed from agricultural to residential area. After that the land was parcelled out in accordance with the spatial plan, and space for oublic areas such as square, playground and a bus station was reserved. The necessary infrastructure for running water and electricity was set up in the settlement. Further, the municipal council adopted a decision to sell the land to the Roma at an affordable price, with an option for payment in low monthly allowances. The total costs for regularization, however, still amounted to 13.000 EUR which was inaccessible to many.

For this reason in municipality Semič in Dolenjska region a different approach was taken. The municipality first adopted a building plan for the settlement and then bought the land from various private owners who owned the land where the settlement was situated. The Romani households signed tenancy agreements with the municipality for a period of 99 years. The families therefore obtained the right to live on this land but not to sell it. The families are not obliged to pay any rent but have the obligation to pay for services, such as water and electricity.
Various models of regularization are being studied by the Expert Group on Roma settlements functioning within the Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning, which is opreparing recommendations to carry out regularization in other Roma settlements as well.

Source:

Parallel lives. Roma denied rights to housing and Water in Slovenia, report, Amnesty International, 2011, available at http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR68/005/2011.