Civil society members of the Czech Govt Inter-Ministerial Commission on Roma Community Affairs call for a rapid resolution to the situation on Přednádraží street

The civil society section of the Czech Government Inter-Ministerial Commission on Roma Community Affairs hereby calls on representatives of the town of Ostrava to resolve the social crisis in the Přednádraží street locality where several dozen residents are still living. The civil society members are particularly calling on the town to resolve the ownership issues regarding the sewer lines which have been the subject of dispute and which, according to a statement signed by the head of the town’s Property Department, belong to the town of Ostrava itself.

The civil society members are aware that some of the residents on Přednádraží street were a contributing factor to the deterioration of some of the buildings there, but at the same time we must point out that other residents have never caused any problems in the locality and have always paid on time for both the private and public services they have consumed there. We call on the town of Ostrava to resolve the social situation of these unproblematic residents in some other way than by moving them into local residential hotels, where the living conditions are extremely disadvantageous and rents are significantly overpriced.

The civil society members further point out that the owner of the buildings on Přednádraží street, Mr. Roztočil, has said he wants to leave part of the locality intact and that should the sewer line issue be resolved with respect to those public services, he would renovate the buildings in such a way that they could be safely occupied under conditions corresponding to existing regulations. The current conditions are extremely unsuitable, as the residents are at risk of contracting infectious diseases. We would also like to point out that significantly unhygienic conditions also predominate at several of the residential hotels into which the residents are supposed to move.

We are calling for a rapid resolution to this social crisis because of the upcoming start of the 2012/2013 school year. This unfavorable social situation may negatively influence the school attendance and preparedness of the children living in the locality on Přednádraží street.