Replicable integrated interventions for inclusive housing and tackling marginalization in the Cluj Metropolitan Area
Intercommunity Development Association Cluj Metropolitan Area ·Romania
About this project
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="color: #000000">The project aims at reducing the residential, social and economic disparities between the Pata Rât community, consisting of disadvantaged families (mostly Roma) and the majority population of Cluj-Napoca and combating the risk of social exclusion in the case of other poor families in the Cluj metropolitan area.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="color: #000000">The main target group consists of 780 persons at risk of poverty and social exclusion (of which 680 from the marginalised urban area Pata Rat and 30 people from less precarious and uncertain housing areas), as well as 840 children and young people at risk of dropping out of school (aged 0 to 15 years, respectively between 16 and 24 years old). Total: 1,620 beneficiaries.</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="color: #000000">Project activities include providing integrated social services (i.e., facilitating access to decent housing, facilitating access to social benefits and /or employment on the labour market, obtaining ID papers, non-formal activities at the Community Social Centre for +16 year old people, aiming to develop independent living skills), medical services (a minimal package of health services for the beneficiaries not registered in the health insurance system, enroll children from Pata Rât on a family doctor registry, support groups for women/young women/ teenage mothers with regard to the pre and post-natal period, as well as to new-born child care, prevention campaigns); educational services (socio-emotional development sessions for children, sessions for teachers aiming at raising awareness to children's needs and support, providing mentoring activities and private lessons for children within the community resource hub).</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="color: #000000">Within the project, 63 social housing will be purchased for 61 families from Pata Rât and two apartments for emergency situations and a replicable resettlement methodology and continuous support to resettled families will be developed.</span></span></span></p>
Bilateral cooperation results
Bilateral relations were a key aspect of the Pata 2 project, with Bergen, Norway, as an international partner collaborating with PP to improve practices in both countries. Various training sessions and events were organized in Romania and Norway to exchange ideas, experiences, and working methods. In 2020, an online training session was held on June 17 due to the pandemic, focusing on best practices in housing and policy recommendations for social housing. In 2021, two training sessions took place: in September, Norwegian partners conducted an in-person event in Cluj-Napoca on crisis intervention. In November, Romanian specialists traveled to Bergen for Build and Administrate, a training on social housing led by experts from the Municipality of Bergen. In 2022, five bilateral events were held. Between May 3-7, representatives from Cluj visited Bergen to learn about inclusive social housing. From May 31 to June 2, Bergen specialists visited Cluj for a training on human trafficking intervention. In October, the teams met again in Bergen to discuss managing social challenges. On December 6-7, two more events took place: a workshop on inclusive housing involving Babeș-Bolyai University and a session on post-relocation services titled Services and Maintenance. The project concluded in 2023 with a closing conference on June 19-20, where Bergen partners led workshops on housing. Between April 20-22, 2024, a PP team, including social workers, psychologists, and the project manager, traveled to Bergen to present project results to key stakeholders. At the conclusion of four years of collaboration, it can certainly be stated that it was a fruitful exchange, characterized by mutual respect and support, as well as a better understanding of the challenges faced by both countries and the approaches used to overcome obstacles.
Project partners
- CITY OF BERGEN Donor project partner· Norway
- The Social and Medical Services Directorate of Cluj-Napoca Project partner· Romania
- Babeș-Bolyai University Project partner· Romania