From informal settlements to secure homes: what Bulgaria learned from Romania - Habitat for Humanity

29.04.202629.04.2026 News

April 21–23, 2026, Bulgaria–Romania: Institutions and municipalities exchanged best practices for transforming informal settlements into sustainable and safe communities. How can unregulated neighborhoods be turned into secure and dignified places to live? And how can national and local authorities join forces to break the long-standing cycle of poverty?

These questions were at the heart of an international working visit to Romania, involving a Bulgarian delegation of representatives from national and local authorities. The visit was organized by Habitat Bulgaria as part of the project “Home Equals – Improving Housing Conditions in Informal Settlements” and focused on the need for sustainable and coordinated solutions to one of the most serious social challenges in the region – housing poverty and the inclusion of communities living in informal and illegal settlements.

The project is being implemented from July 2025 to June 2027 in the municipalities of Kyustendil and Berkovitsa. It aims to drive policy change through pilot measures for housing legalization, improvement of basic infrastructure, and the creation of a sustainable model for social integration and development of affected communities. It is part of the global Home Equals campaign, which seeks to improve living conditions in informal settlements worldwide.

In this context, the visit to Romania went beyond an exchange of experience and became a practical platform for discussing real policies and solutions in the fields of housing and social inclusion.

The Bulgarian delegation was represented at a high institutional level, including the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Nikolay Naydenov; representatives of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works; Eng. Lilyana Petrova, Director of the National Construction Control Directorate; Daniela Ushatova, Head of the “Local Policies and Finance” Team at the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria; Radko Vlaykov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria to Romania; Georgi Iliev, Mayor of Slatina District; as well as representatives of the municipalities of Kyustendil and Berkovitsa.

Minister Naydenov emphasized that it is “imperative to begin work on a new national housing strategy that responds to real needs and contemporary challenges.”

He stressed that the document should be based on reliable data, in-depth analysis, and international experience so that it reflects the real picture of housing needs in the country. According to him, housing policy should be viewed as an integrated system, covering social housing, support for vulnerable groups, challenges related to informal settlements, and improvements to the living environment. He added that sustainable solutions require coordinated institutional efforts and consistent long-term policies aimed at reducing social inequalities and ensuring access to adequate housing.

On the Romanian side, participation was also at a high institutional and expert level, including representatives from key institutions responsible for regional development, social policy, and the management and coordination of EU funds. These included the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration; the Ministry of Investments and European Projects; the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity; as well as experts from the Association of Romanian Municipalities, the National Union of County Councils of Romania, the National Agency for Roma, ROMACT, Habitat Romania, and the NGO Make Better (MKBT).

The Romanian experience shows that sustainable solutions begin with a clear and detailed understanding of the problem:

» A key focus was Romania’s model for systematic mapping and analysis of informal settlements, introduced in 2019 through amendments to spatial planning legislation. This approach is based on collecting and processing detailed data, including:

settlement locations
population size
land ownership status
cadastral mapping of existing buildings
assessment of their condition
infrastructure improvement potential
or, where necessary, relocation options

» A digital tool for mapping and monitoring informal settlements has been developed as part of an interoperable settlement data platform. It has identified 393 informal settlements in Romania, with 71,965 residents. In 2022, Romania adopted a National Housing Strategy with a horizon to 2050, prioritizing improved housing conditions for vulnerable groups, including those in informal settlements.Administrative-territorial units where the following are identified:
🟠 informal settlements and marginalized communities; 🟡 marginalized communities; 🟢 informal settlements

» Discussions also highlighted the clearly structured distribution of responsibilities between institutions in Romania. Local authorities play a leading role on the ground and in direct engagement with communities, while national institutions provide the legal framework, funding, and strategic coordination. This effective multilevel coordination was identified as a key factor for achieving sustainable results.

» The issue of lack of address registration was also emphasized as a major barrier to social inclusion. Without an official address, many people in vulnerable communities remain excluded from social protection, healthcare, education, and employment systems. The Bulgarian side presented its practice of issuing administrative addresses as a potential basis for broader policy development.

» In Romania, social housing is treated as part of a comprehensive support system rather than a standalone measure. Managed at the municipal level, it targets the most vulnerable groups and is combined with social services and complementary inclusion measures. In this way, housing is seen not only as a physical asset but as a foundation for social stability and long-term inclusion.

The delegation also visited the Municipality of Reșița, where concrete examples of integrated approaches to housing poverty and informal settlements were presented. Romanian practice demonstrates a combination of infrastructure interventions and active social policies aimed at sustainable improvements in living conditions and community integration.

For Bulgaria, the visit highlighted both challenges and concrete opportunities, particularly the need for systematic data collection and use, improved institutional coordination, and the development of a long-term national housing strategy. At the same time, it emphasized that existing experience and best practices can be further developed through closer cooperation between state institutions, municipalities, and civil society, leading to more effective and sustainable solutions.

The Mayor of Slatina District, Georgi Iliev, stressed that assembling teams of architects, urban planners, surveyors, district experts, and community representatives would provide sustainable solutions and progress in addressing informal settlements.

The Home Equals campaign reinforces the understanding that access to adequate housing is a fundamental human right. Habitat Bulgaria continues to develop platforms for dialogue among institutions, municipalities, and experts aimed at creating practical housing policy solutions. The visit to Romania clearly demonstrated that housing poverty is not an unsolvable problem, but a complex challenge that can be addressed through long-term vision, political will, coordinated action at all levels of governance, and sustainable partnerships between the state, local authorities, and civil society.

Presentations: