Abstract
Ostrava is the third biggest city of the Czech Republic. The Moravian-Silesian region, whose "capital" is Ostrava, is strongly affected by heavy industry (coal mining, steel production), high rate of unemployment, pollution and the presence of many numerous ethnic minorities, especially Romanies, who came in late fifties from the Slovak settlement there.
Social housing in the Czech Republic is not provided by the state at all and only on limited scale by the towns and cities. There are also many ghettos and socially excluded locations in the area and the housing (together with racism and prejudices) in general is one of the biggest problem.
More than three years ago a remarkable partnership was created and tries to substitute the zero activity of the state in the social housing issue. More than three years ago a remarkable partnership of private sector (the owner of majority of the houses in the region), NGOs, schools, police, municipalities and the inhabitants of the socially excluded location was created and tries to substitute the zero activity of the state in the social housing issue.
The project emphasizes the active participation of all the partners, especially the inhabitants (tenants), who are perceived and treated as subjects (responsible partners) and not mere objects of help and control. The combination of prevention and control, work with the people and repairs of the houses / areas is well-balanced and the project became a good practice example well known not only in the Czech Republic and France (lectures for urban planning students at Sorbonne University in 2010), but also in Germany, where we try to reapply it in Berlin - Spandau now.
In the course of the time the project expanded and it is operated in 8 locations in Moravian - Silesian region now. The tenants are not forced out and the owner of the houses believe that the investment in locations of that type can (when well managed) make sense.