Blog 2: 26 Roma families face forced eviction

On the website of Amnestyusa.gov the article focuses on the country of Romania.   In April of this year local officials served the nearly 300 families with eviction from their settlements.  Local officials in the city of Baia Mare have given residents of the Pirita settlement until September 7^th (today) to find somewhere else to stay.  In total there are 26 families living in the settlement.  Those whom have not found a new place to stay will be forced to live on the streets with nowhere else to go.  Many of the families have lived here for years, never expecting a forced eviction.  Higher authorities have expressed for those whom have not moved by today’s deadline, that they will take over and have their homes demolished.  To make matters worse, the families whom did not dismantle their homes can expect to receive the bill for the tear down of their home from authorities.

A few families that were unable to find alternative housing were moved to a chemical plant on the outskirts of the city.  Moving the families to a local chemical factory posing all sorts of health risks and does not fit the descriptions of adequate alternative housing. 

The plan to demolish such settlements as Pirita, was also the platform for the new mayor, Catalin Chereches’, campaign.  In an effort to prevent the “pockets of poverty” she wanted to get rid of the settlements which they had grown to tolerate.  During a campaign event she said the settlements could simply be destroyed in less than an hour.  To aid those in poverty there should be more of an alternative in place for them until they are more able to find better housing.  Instead of trying to beautify the city at the expense of the poor, they should try an alternative like renovation.

Here is the link to the original article: http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/news-item/romania-scores-of-roma-face-imminent-forced-eviction