Bulgaria

Context at a glance

Behind the monotonous grey walls of these blocks of flats, families are trapped in housing poverty

During the communist regime, the Bulgarian government provided low-interest housing loans for families to buy homes in poor-quality blocks of flats. However, once a market economy took hold, the responsibility for housing fell on the local authorities, who do not have sufficient resources to deal with the problem. More and more homes are in need of major repairs and many homeowners cannot afford even the most basic maintenance.

Families find themselves in an even worse housing situation when they move to bigger cities, particularly Sofia, in search of jobs. It is not the custom in Bulgaria to sign a legal contract when renting an apartment so many families find themselves on the street when the landlord finds someone who can pay more. Some families move dozens of times and the frequent address changes make them ineligible for government help with housing.

Habitat for Humanity programme

The chairman of the Bulgarian Parliament invited Habitat for Humanity to work in Bulgaria and a group of local people took on the project. The first construction site opened in 2003 in one of the poorer areas of the capital city. The apartment building was completed in 2005 and is home to eight families. They have worked hard on the site, helping build their long-awaited homes. Many volunteers have also worked alongside the families.

HFH Bulgaria pays special attention to young families who are forced to stay with relatives or other families in overcrowded, often substandard conditions. Habitat gives real hope to those families dreaming of secure housing and a better future for their children.

Back to list of countries