Czech Govt Human Rights Commissioner: Ostrava is failing its residents

Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner Monika Šimůnková has called on the representatives of the Municipal Department of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz and the town of Ostrava to ensure all residents of the run-down buildings on Přednádraží street in Ostrava-Přívoz find emergency, temporary housing in local residential hotels as long as the rents they are charged will not further deteriorate their social situations. “It is evident that the existing situation is the result of a long-term, systemic failure to solve problems which I view as primarily the responsibility of the town of Ostrava and the Municipal Department of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz,” Šimůnková said in her statement. News server Romea.cz is publishing that statement in full translation below.

Press release of Mgr. Monika ŠIMŮNKOVÁ, Human Rights Commissioner and Executive Director of the Human Rights Section of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic

I have been following the situation regarding the eviction of the 200 residents of the run-down buildings on Přednádraží street in Ostrava-Přívoz all week in detail. I am in regular contact with Kumar Vishwanathan of the Life Together association (Vzájemné soužití), with the Regional Romani Coordinator, Mr Vrána, and I have spoken by telephone with the mayor of the municipal department. This afternoon I spoke by telephone with the Mayor of Ostrava. Staff of the Agency for Social Inclusion are monitoring the situation.

From the information I have gathered to date it is evident that the existing situation is the result of a long-term, systemic failure to solve problems which I view as primarily the responsibility of the town of Ostrava and the Municipal Department of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz. In principle, it is impossible that all sides should have refrained from action while waiting two years for the results of a proceedings on who is the owner of the broken sewer lines which are evidently the main, original cause of the current poor state of these buildings, even as the continual deterioration of the hygiene and safety there created a situation bordering on a public danger.

I therefore expect of the Municipal Department of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz and the town of Ostrava the following: In the event of evictions, which would be a completely extreme solution, the municipal department and the town must guarantee all residents of those buildings emergency, temporary housing in residential hotels which will be financially affordable so the tenants’ social situations do not further deteriorate. Moreover, the transfer of these people to the residential hotels must be a temporary solution only. Staff of the Agency for Social Inclusion are prepared to help the town seek options for ensuring the long-term housing of these evicted families, for example, by facilitating meetings with private apartment owners in Ostrava, with whom we have long collaborated, on the option of their allocating some apartments for this purpose.

The municipal department and town must be forewarned that if such a high number of socially deprived people are merely relocated into residential hotels without any intensive follow-up social work, similar problems will repeat themselves very soon. The same warning applies should they be moved into the smaller villages on the outskirts of Ostrava.