Housing as a Human Right

In this article, we will argue that the case of the eviction to inadequate housing conditions in Baia Mare is the result of – among other things – the deficient Romanian legal framework that currently fails to set out standards for adequate housing and fails to establish accountability mechanisms for municipalities that violate such standards . On case studies researched by Amnesty International throughout Romania, we will illustrate how these gaps “translate” into projects that lead to housing in segregated areas, housing without provisions of basic services, housing in inadequate spaces such as former chicken farms, containers, or non-converted office buildings. We will show that these projects are at odds with international standards on the right to adequate housing applicable in Romania.