The housing situation in Ústí nad Labem is critical, just as it is in other places throughout the Czech Republic. People are gradually moving out of the Předlice quarter there, where structural engineers say almost 30 buildings are now defective. For the time being this concerns a building on Beneše Lounského street which has been neglected by its owner and labeled unfit for human habitation by a structural engineer, but people will be moving out of the other buildings there in future.
The tenants of Beneše Lounského were first moved into a school gym and then into a residential hotel. Now the owner of the building in which that residential hotel is located will be closing it by the end of January. Three local nonprofit organizations met to discuss the situation and have issued a joint statement. News server Romea.cz is publishing it in full translation below.
Statement from the Counseling Center for Citizenship, Civil and Human Rights (Poradna pro občanství/občanská a lidská práva), People in Need (Člověk v tísni) and the DRUG-OUT Club (Drug-out klub)
On 25 January 2013, three nonprofit organizations that have been contributing toward resolving the situation of the Čelakovského residential hotel in the Krásné Březno quarter met to discuss the fact that it is slated for closure on 1 February 2013. The meeting was attended by staff of the DRUG-OUT klub, the Counseling Center for Citizenship, Civil and Human Rights (Poradna pro občanství/občanská a lidská práva a společnosti), and People in Need (Člověk v tísni).
The aim of the meeting was cooperation and information-sharing regarding the housing search for tenants of the residential hotel and the development of collaboration with specific families in future.
All three organizations have reached out to more than 15 landlords (representing more than 20 apartments) who were willing to accommodate the large families from the residential hotel. Unfortunately, most of the apartments offered for lease were unsuitable in terms of dimensions and layout, or their landlords expected a disproportionately high deposit, or on further inspection by social workers or the clients themselves were found to be objectionable from a hygienic point of view and therefore inappropriate. Some clients did not want to resolve their situations in collaboration with the nonprofits.
Because there is no monitoring of residential hotels, hygienic conditions there are also poor – garbage is piling up in the common areas and the building is leaking water. As of 1 February, moreover, all of the electricity and gas will be disconnected there.
Fortunately, some families, including ones evicted from the Beneše Lounského building in the Předlice quarter, have managed to find suitable accommodations over the past few days. They have signed lease agreements and are getting ready to move.
Social workers have been distributing information about available rentals over the past few days to those living at the residential hotel, including contact information for landlords. That information has also been distributed to those residents who have not collaborated with the nonprofits so far and who have been unable to find substitute accommodation under their own steam. According to our information, 10 families will probably remain in the residential hotel as of the last day of January.
