Lack of accommodation for refugees is an acute problem
Timeline
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The Equality Ombudsman submitted a study about discrimination on the housing market
The Equality Ombudsman submitted a study about discrimination on the housing market The Equality Ombudsman submitted a study on discrimination in the housing market to the Government. The study is based on discrimination testing and covers discrimination on grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability and sexual orientation. The rental market was examined by nearly 400 phone calls to 150 tenants in 90 different locations. Results in brief:. • Discrimination occurred both in ...
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Conference about the housing discrimination organised by Ombudsman against ethnic discrimination
On 12 September 2008 a conference was arranged in which the focus was partly a summary of the housing project run by the DO and the issue of promoting social change in the direction of greater equality/non-discrimination. The main questions were (1) Does law, by itself, lead to social change? (2) Does mobilisation of civil society, by itself, lead to social change? (3) Does research by itself lead to social change? It was pointed out that while law, mobilisation and research seldom lead to chan...
The National Board of Health and Welfare reported in the Social report 2010, a slowly increasing trend of economic segregation over time. For several years, there has been a clear connection between ethnic and economic segregation in the Swedish Metropolitan Areas.
According to the housing market survey for 2011, 85 municipalities stated that refugees with permanent residence and those who intend to live permanently in the municipality have difficulties, particularly in obtaining a mortgage. In 2010, about 22 of the 26 municipalities in Stockholm county indicated that they had housing shortage and difficulties meeting the housing needs for refugees. About one third of the Migration Board answered they had almost never offered housing to asylum seekers with special medical needs. It should be noted that refugees living in a rented apartment do not always have a first owner contract (förstahandskontrakt).
Lack of accommodation for refugees is an acute problem, especially finding large apartments for families and for unaccompanied minors. Homelessness among migrants is increasing in Sweden according to a study by the National Board of Health survey, which shows that asylum seekers with special medical needs who choose to live in their own home are not eligible to get care in the home. Instead it is expected that relatives and friends provide care that the asylum seekers need. From a human rights perspective such treatment is remarkable. Ethnic housing segregation is increasingly being correlated to economic poverty. The National Board of Health and Welfare pointed out that this development in the future might lead to the majority majority population considering “visible minorities” as synonymous with poverty, unemployment and social assistance.
Source: Boverket,
http://www.boverket.se/Boende/Analys-av-bostadsmarknaden/Bostadsmarknadsenkaten/Riket-grupper/Flyktingar/
Source: The National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), Social Report 2010, http://www.socialstyrelsen.se/publikationer2010/socialreport-summary
