Come HoMe: Understanding and Combatting Intersectional discrimination in Housing for people with Migratory background

The Major Development Agency Thessaloniki, S.A. – AOTA, (MDAT S.A.) is the local partner that manages the project “Understanding and Combatting Intersectional discrimination in Housing for people with Migratory background – Come HoMe from the European Union fund, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Program (CERV) .”

The project aims to promote equality in the cities of Turin (Italy), Valletta (Malta), and Thessaloniki, focusing on the right to housing. The program aims to better understand discrimination in the housing market through research and to create tools (strategies, etc.) to combat discrimination in the same market for people with an immigrant background.

Funding: Co-financed by the “Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV)” program of the European Union

Duration: 24 months, 01/01/2023-31/12/2024

Partners:

⮚ Project lead partner: Danish Refugee Council, DRC, Turin, Italy

⮚ Mixed Migration Center (MMC), Brussels, Belgium

⮚ SOS Malta, Valletta, Malta

⮚ Fondazione Impact Housing, (FIH) Milan, Italy

⮚ Major Development Agency Thessaloniki, Organization for Local Development (MDAT AE AOTA), Thessaloniki, Greece

Housing discrimination against people with migrant background in Southern Europe

⮚ Housing systems in the countries of the South are characterized by a preference for owner-occupation, reduced social intervention in the housing sector as well as limited to non-existent stock for the provision of social and affordable housing

⮚ Citizens of third countries are disproportionately burdened by the effects of housing foreclosure

⮚ The project examines and investigates discrimination in the housing market experienced by third-country nationals

⮚ Discrimination in the housing market is often interpreted in the light of racism even though this is part of the reality

 Introduction to the research undertaken

⮚ The research adopts an interdisciplinary approach – similar research has shown that discrimination is based on multiple factors or a combination of them, such as nationality, race or gender, the legal status of the individual, material conditions such as work, income, etc. a.

⮚ Understanding the root causes associated with these discriminations can enable the adoption of better tools and strategies, or even the resolution of other forms of discrimination

⮚ There are no European-level data on how many people are discriminated against in the housing market on the basis of their ethnic or racial origin

⮚ Even less evidence is available on the views of owners and the motivations behind their decisions