Bucuresti’s homeless population doubles; Romania lacks comprehensive solutions compared to Austria and Czechia.
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The number of homeless people in Bucharest has doubled in recent years, and while measures are discussed, they are not implemented, according to the director of Carusel Association, who states that Romania does not address this issue with an open heart. A man staying at a Carusel center shared his difficult experiences on the streets before finding temporary shelter after being evicted from his parents’ home following prison time for driving without a license. He also mentioned facing racism as a Roma person and the stress of unemployment. While Bucharest’s General Directorate of Social Assistance (DGASMB) offers various support services, national strategies include economic and legal counseling, anti-addiction campaigns, and social reintegration programs. Romania has adopted a National Housing Strategy aiming for “housing first,” which prioritizes providing permanent housing without preconditions, but the Carusel director notes that bureaucratic hurdles discourage people from applying. In contrast, Austria is testing and expanding a “housing first” program in Vienna, while Czechia has a Social Inclusion Strategy and recently approved legislation to create support centers. Italy, however, lacks a national strategy or regular monitoring system despite having a growing homeless population of around 96,000 people, with most sleeping in parks or stations.
