NGO warns against emergence of ghettos in North Bohemia - press

A Czech NGO has warned against the emergence of ghettos in Liberec saying that the number of localities inhabited by poor people who are unable to solve their problems without others’ aid is growing, the regional supplement of daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes today.

The town hall of Liberec, a regional capital with almost 100,000 inhabitants, however, says it believes that the planned community plan will change the situation, the paper writes.

"Problems can further deteriorate in the future," Ladislav Tousek, from the People in Need NGO, told the paper.
He said many towns have of late preferred moving socially excluded people elsewhere, which is "a very shortsighted approach."
The most acute problem in Liberec are eight houses in which socially weak families live. There are three apartment houses, four dormitories and one dormitory for rent-defaulters.

According to the NGO’s survey, up to 2,000 people may live in the neighbourhood.

"The houses are inhabited mainly by Romanies. The owners rent the flats for inappropriately high sums," Petra Knitlova told the paper.

Liberec lacks housing for families in need. There is one house for women and for men, but not for whole families.
People in Need says the deprived people have large debts, many of them are alcoholics, and drug and gambling addicts.