Housing & Environment

Housing Conditions of Roma Communities in Govanhill-Scotland

Housing remains one of the most serious and persistent challenges facing Roma communities both in Scotland and across Europe. In Govanhill, Glasgow, home to one of the largest Roma populations in the UK, families continue to face discrimination, exploitation in the private rental market, and structural barriers to accessing social housing. This mirrors a broader European pattern of inadequate living conditions for Roma people. Despite some local progress, current housing policies and allocations do not adequately reflect the lived experiences, size of the flats, cultural needs, or rights of Roma families. These issues are well documented in a 2024 local study by Greater Govanhill, view here, New Research Reveals Roma Facing Barriers to Decent Housing in Govanhill which found that 60% of Roma respondents rated their housing as “poor” or “very poor,” citing issues such as damp, mould, and overcrowding.

Roma Housing Situation in Govanhill and Europe

The Roma population across Europe, including in the UK, faces significant housing challenges that are deeply rooted in structural discrimination, poverty, and limited access to public services. The situation is particularly severe in neighbourhoods like Govanhill in Glasgow, where many Roma families reside in poor-quality private rental housing. Visit the Romano Lav and Poverty Alliance report (2024) Romano Lav Report Highlights Ongoing Inequality and Discrimination Facing Roma in Scotland. It confirms that Roma in Govanhill experience exploitative landlords, high rents for unsafe flats, and a widespread lack of awareness of their housing rights all of which contributes to continued marginalisation.

This mirrors broader European trends where Roma often live in segregated, overcrowded, and substandard housing conditions, sometimes without basic amenities like running water, electricity, or heating.

The Reality on the Ground

Many Roma families in Govanhill live in overcrowded flats, not out of choice but due to a lack of available suitable housing. Families are often forced to wait 2–3 years or longer to be offered a flat big enough under current housing rules. Scottish housing policy requires, for example, that two girls over 15 must have separate bedrooms. But for many Roma families, living together in a smaller flat is culturally and practically acceptable. However, the system doesn’t allow flexibility, so families are stuck on waiting lists instead of being allowed to move into smaller homes they would be happy with.

Some families face pressure to remain in unsuitable temporary housing for long periods.

Housing Conditions in Govanhill

According to the CR Govanhill Report (2019), Roma residents in Govanhill frequently experience: Poor housing conditions, including dampness, overcrowding, and lack of heating or proper sanitation. Exploitative landlord practices, such as excessive rents for uninhabitable homes, refusal to carry out repairs, and threats of eviction. Overcrowding, where multiple families sometimes share a single flat due to unaffordable rents and a lack of available housing. Limited access to social housing, with most Roma confined to the private rental sector because of legal barriers, lack of documentation, or systemic exclusion from public housing schemes.

These issues are also reinforced by the Crosshill and Govanhill Community Group’s PDF report; Roma in Govanhill: Report Highlights Housing and Social Challenges. This includes details about insecure tenancies, housing discrimination, and barriers to accessing help or navigating the system.

Despite the presence of housing improvement initiatives in Govanhill, including property acquisition and repair programs, the report notes ongoing issues with rogue landlords and slow progress in enforcement, leaving many Roma families still vulnerable.

Challenges Across Europe

The Roma are Europe’s largest ethnic minority, with an estimated 10–12 million people, yet they remain one of the most marginalized communities. Across countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, where large Roma populations reside the situation often involves:

Spatial segregation, with Roma communities pushed to the outskirts of towns or into ghettos. Legal insecurity, where many Roma lack legal titles in their homes, makes them vulnerable to evictions. Lack of infrastructure, including lack of access to clean water, sewage systems, and public transportation, is a problem. Discrimination in access to housing, where Roma face exclusion from rental markets or social housing because of ethnic prejudice.

See below for a useful report from Habitat for Humanity explaining that in countries across Central and Eastern Europe, Roma often faces extreme housing deprivation, with inadequate legal protections and infrastructure.

Habitat for Humanity: Tackling Housing Issues in Underserved Communities.

Impacts on Wellbeing and Integration

Poor housing is not just a logistical issue; it has profound implications for health, education, and integration. Inadequate housing can lead to:

• Increased rates of respiratory illness due to dampness.

• Lower educational outcomes for children who lack quiet, stable study environments.

• Social exclusion as Roma is concentrated in neglected areas with limited community services.

The Council of Europe confirms that substandard housing has a serious negative effect on physical health, school attendance, and employment chances, particularly in segregated Roma communities.

See below;

Council of Europe Overview: Roma and Traveller Housing Issues.

Conclusion and Way Forward

• Stronger regulation and enforcement of housing standards in the private rental sector.

• Investment in inclusive social housing that prioritizes vulnerable groups.

• Targeted outreach and support services for Roma communities, including advocacy, language support, and tenant rights education.

• Combatting discrimination in housing markets through legal protections and public awareness.

According to the Human Rights Centre blog (2024), nearly half of Roma in private rental housing across Europe fear they won’t be able to afford rent in the next three months, showing that housing insecurity is not only persistent, but escalating. See below;

FRA Report 2024: Rising Living Costs and Racism Threaten Fundamental Rights Across Europe

In both local and international contexts, ensuring decent housing for Roma is a fundamental human rights issue, one that is critical for breaking cycles of poverty and promoting genuine social inclusion.

The following report revealed that over €1 billion in EU funds have been used for segregated, poorly constructed Roma housing projects, proving that even well-meaning investments can deepen exclusion if not guided by rights-based, inclusive principles.

Report on Discriminatory Use of EU Funds

Local Context: Govanhill, Glasgow

Govanhill is one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Scotland and includes a significant Roma population primarily from Slovakia, Romania, and the Czech Republic.

Key Issues Identified in the 2019 Govanhill Community Renewal Report:

• Overcrowding: Large families are forced to share small flats due to lack of affordable or available in larger homes.

• Poor conditions: Damp, unheated, poorly maintained properties, often rented at high prices.

• Discrimination: Roma tenants are often treated unfairly by private landlords and estate agents.

• Limited access to social housing: Complex application systems, lack of translated guidance, and eligibility restrictions prevent Roma families from moving into more secure accommodation.

• Long waits: Due to policy rules (e.g., requiring teenage girls to have separate rooms), some families wait 2–3 years or more for a suitable flat — even when they would prefer smaller housing they’re happy to live in.

"Many people live in social housing and are happy. They don’t want to leave."
"Others with private landlords are more vulnerable rent increases, risk of homelessness, poor conditions."

European Perspective: Structural Inequality

Across Europe, Roma communities face some of the worst housing outcomes of any ethnic group:

• 80% live below the poverty line (EU FRA 2016).

• One in three Roma households lacks basic facilities like toilets or electricity.

• Roma are more likely to live in segregated, unsafe, or informal housing arrangements, sometimes without legal protection.

• Evictions without legal recourse or alternative accommodation are common.

These conditions reinforce cycles of poverty and make it harder for Roma children to succeed in education, for adults to find stable employment, and for families to access healthcare and support.

Current Policies Don’t Work

The housing allocation system, as it currently exists, does not reflect the lived experiences, needs, or preferences of Roma families. Cultural understanding and flexibility are missing from housing decisions. Large families, cultural closeness, and multi-generational living are all parts of Roma identity yet policies often penalise these traditions instead of supporting them.

Policy Gaps and Cultural Mismatch

Current housing policies are not fit for purpose for many Roma families:

• Criteria such as mandatory room sizes and bedroom counts do not consider cultural preferences for close-knit family living.

• Policies aimed at “reducing overcrowding” often delay housing offers, even when families express a desire to live in smaller, available homes.

• There is a lack of cultural mediation, translation, or support during housing application processes.

• The private rental sector remains poorly regulated, allowing exploitation to persist with little consequence.

Recommendations

To improve housing outcomes and human rights for Roma families in Govanhill and across Scotland, we recommend:

Ensure equal access to social housing:

• Provide support workers and interpreters to help Roma families apply for and understand the housing system.

• Simplify documentation requirements.

• Zero tolerance for housing discrimination in both social and private sectors.

Increase supply of large and flexible homes:

• Build or convert properties suitable for multi-generational and large families.

• Allow for culturally appropriate living arrangements, rather than applying strict overcrowding metrics.

Improve regulation of the private rental sector:

• Enforce existing landlord standards and increase penalties for unsafe or exploitative housing.

• Offer legal housing support services for Roma tenants.

Involve Roma voices in housing policy development:

• Fund Roma-led organisations to provide lived experience expertise.

• Co-create local housing strategies with Roma communities.

Conclusion

Housing is a foundational right. Without safe, secure, and culturally appropriate housing, Roma communities in Govanhill and across Europe will remain at the margins. This is not a community failure, it is a policy and structural failure. It's time for housing policy to reflect lived reality, not just bureaucratic targets.