Social system in the Czech Republic

1. Social system in the Czech Republic Kateřina Čaputová (SAD)

2. Czech Republic – Basic facts • 1989 the end of communist rule • 1993 Czechoslovakia split into two countries, Czech Republic and Slovakia • Population – 10,5 millions people • GDP per capital 20 thousands USD (between 40 wealthiest countries worldwide) • Currency – Czech crown, 28 Czk - 1 Euro • Minimum wage/ 330 Euro monthly • Unemployment 6% (April 2015) • The first national Concept of Preventing and Tackling Homelessness Issues in the Czech Republic until 2020 (prepared by Ministry of Labour and Social Affaires in 2014)

3. Concept of Preventing and Tackling Homelessness Issues in the Czech Republic until 2020 • Homelessness – extreme form of poverty and social exclusion • Resolving homelessness – a long term and complicated process: from the risk of being excluded from or losing housing to returning to the common lifestyle, once the housing issue has been resolved • Social work and related support has to be implemented in all stages on homelessness process to be successful

4. Definition of homelessness • In the Czech Republic, homelessness has not been defined yet systematically or legislatively • Concept is using definition according by ETHOS (European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion) developed by FEANTSA • This definition is refusing simplified understanding of homelessness as sleeping in the street and comes with more complex definition • Homelessness is a complex, dynamic and differentiated process within which various individuals and groups pass through various entry and exit points • Including people sleeping in the streets, in accommodation for homeless, people in insecure accommodation and people staying in conditions which do not fulfill minimum standard of living

5. Numbers • Estimated number of roofless people in the Czech Republic is approx. 30 000 • But there are much more people living in insecure or inadequate housing • Estimated number of potential homeless people living in the Czech Republic in 2012 is up to 100 thousand people • The groups most at risk are families with single senior up to 65 years old, households with one adult and children or households with members unemployed in long term

6. Individual factors which might be leading to homelessness • Phenomenon of homelessness became visible after 1989 although it existed even before in its latent form • Currently we are missing sufficient usable theoretical and empirically verified knowledge • However existing knowledge shows that risk factors that can trigger homelessness on the part of people include debts, unpaid rent or mortgages, family conflicts and breakdown, release from institutional care (children’s home, prison, mental home, hospital), a low social status, generally low social skills and a lack of socially supportive networks, mental health problems, sexual and psychological abuse in the childhood, drug and alcohol abuse, delinquent behavior or imprisonment

7. Structural factors which might be leading to homelessness • Labour and housing market tendencies, the policy related to social benefits and social service networking, deficiencies in the educational system, the increasing poverty rate, deficiencies in creating equal opportunities, regional differences or changes in the family life. • In addition, we have insufficient information about the magnitude of homelessness

8. Specific trends • The hidden homeless group now includes more young people below 25 years of age, more disabled persons and women as well as more families with children • In the Czech Republic, young people leaving institutional care are most at risk of homelessness among the young. Although no exact records are available, youth and young adults are estimated to account for about 15% of the homeless population • Proportion of women between homeless has increased significantly

9. Description of current situation – access to housing • People in the biggest risk/ low income people, individuals living alone, especially groups of seniors, disabled persons and homeless people • The current residential market is not able to respond to the needs of the above-mentioned groups/ necessity of social housing • The number of people living in sub-standard form of housing or in the streets has been increasing in the past years • The exact number of people currently living in shelters/ hostels is not known. Nevertheless, in 2013 there were aprox. 12 000 of beneficiaries living in shelters (which is far from being the final number as not all the people living in hostels receive this allowance); the number of beneficiaries in hostels doubled on a year-to-year basis • Debts represent a significant barrier to access to standard housing and to social inclusion for a considerable number of homeless people

10. Social security system in the Czech Republic

12. Housing allowance • It is intended for families or individuals who cannot afford to pay their housing costs due to low income Conditions to get the allowance: • Owner or tenant has to have permanent residence in the apartment/ house (usually very complicated for people living in shelters/ asylum houses) • Incomes of all people having permanent residence in household are count together • Normative house costs have to be higher then one third of the total income • House costs are including tenancy, energy costs, water, gas and they defined by the state

13. Examples – housing allowance • Family of 2 adults and 2 children living in rented apartment in Prague, having income together of 22 000 Czk and having costs of living 15 000 Czk • 15 000 Czk is less then normative costs living (in Prague for rental apartment for 4 people in 2015 18 674 Czk) so 15 000 Czk will be taken as the base • 0,3 of salary is 7 333 Czk • Allowance will be count as costs of living – 0,3 of total family salary: • 15 000 – 7333, which will be around 7300 Czk paid monthly

14. 3. Social support

15. Assistance in material need • To be eligible to get them, the person has to fulfil many different conditions; as for example has to prove that is actively looking for the job when unemployed and so on. It can also depend how the person is evaluated by Employment Office • The person has to be in material poverty • Housing supplement can be paid in special cases to people living on shelters/ asylum houses • Living supplement/ from the net salary of the person/ household adequate costs of living is deducted (but max. 30% of income). If after that person is not reaching minimum living wage, then he is eligible for living allowance • Both living allowance and housing supplement are linked to minimum living wage

16. Minimum living wage • Minimum living wage is a minimum set by state to cover the minimum costs for food and other basic personal needs, as an example for the family of 2 adults and 2 children is about 10 500 Czk

17. Thank you for your attention 