Ponencia impartida por Kinga Muller, voluntaria en el proyecto Social Housing Reconstruction Camp (Hungria), el 5 de julio de 2013 en la II European Summer School of Social Innovation

1. SOCIAL HOUSING
RECONSTRUCTION CAMP
KINGA MULLER
HUNGARY
2009-2013

2. College for Advanced Studies in
Social Theory
2O09,
Nagykanizsa

3. College for Advanced Studies in
Social Theory 2
- Corvinus University of Budapest Hungary (University
of Economics)
- 60-100 active members
- organise lectures, courses, workshops
- strong links to Civil Society Organisations,
volundteering, social responsability
- also a community

4. College for Advanced Studies in
Social Theory 3
Actovism
- Cooperate with NGO-s
- Participate in social movements for minoriry rights
- “ Food not bombs” - serving
free vegetarian food to
homlesses on weekly basis

5. The problem- local level
2009
Visiting Nagykanizsa
(city) with a group called
“People of the streets”
(activists)
„Citromsziget = Lemon
island” (big social housing
unit)

6. The problem- local level 2
Multi faced problem:
- 30-40 families in a big
unit
- House in bad condition
- Negative perception
- Unemployment of
tenants
- Arrears (non-paid bills)

7. The problem- national level
- Big factories close in industrial towns
- Unemployment increases (11% registered)
- Social benefit for active aged people decreases:
22.800 HUF/ month = Euro 76
- Unemployment benefit- just for 3 months after 10
months working

8. The problem- national level 2
- Poor people live in social housing
- More flats needed than habitable and rentable,
many sosial housing are empty, unhabitable
- Flats without comfort, or not energy- efficient so
heeting and electricity costs a lot

9. „Ligetváros” =
“Grove-city”
- Slum of 110 council flats
- Buildings built for military hospital barracks
- Later minimal reconstructions
- Sewer and plumbing system built at the time
of the political system change /1989)

10. Concept
Complex problem
-Unemployed and indepted local people
- Derelict buildings
- Segregated, slumified area
- Apathy

11. -Provide an opportunity for
disadvantaged families living in social
housing units and struggling with rent
arrears to do something for themselves
and for their surroundings
- We carry out renovations involving
tenants of these units and the
municipality reduces the participants
rent arrears by the increase in value of
the renovated houses
Solution
?

12. Achieve the first reconstruction
camp
- Start: 4-5 members of College for Advanced Studies
in Social Theory
- Develop the concept to a working plan
- Apply for grants – Norvegian Civil Fund
- Invite professional cooparating partners:
• - Habitat for Humanity Hungary
• - College for Advanced Studies in Architects
- Organise and coordinate volunteers and tenants
- Knocking on 200 doors

14. Implementation
- Challenge to win the local municipality and convince
them that the maintenance of their property is
economic and It will increase in value
- From HFH We had a construction supervisor so We
could reach the expected quality of reconstruction with
unskilled locals and volunteers

15. Partners and organizing of the
reconstruction
- Found raising and sponsorship : Austhrotherm (cheaper
heat insulation), DeWalt, Black and Decker, Makita, OBI,
knauf (old/ unused or cheaper tools and machines)
- Plan the reconstruction process
- Get the building materials
- Double target groups: volunteers and locals together

17. Insulation and painting

19. Benefits
- Opening up
- Experiencing the power
of their community élmény
- Positive media
representation
- Empowerment
-Tenants:
- Had a chance for a strong positive self- presentation
- Could see the results of their work
- Renovated and made more sustainable part of their
surroundings

21. Statistics
2 section: April and August of 2010
Flats renovated: 18 and 9
People who decreased their depts: 38 and 27
Volunteers from college: 40 and 35
HFH volunteers 35 and 24 (from USA)
Decrease of depts alltogether: almost 3 million HUF = Euro
10 000

23. The IDA program
- We were cooperating
partner with
Autonomia Foundation
and Habitat For Humanity
- 3 villages of 25 of the
program
• 6 families participated
• - Focus: self- care
Savings – Supports - Credit

24. The reconstructions in “Valleys”
• Civil volunteers and
volunteers from
coorporation E-on
(energy supplier)
• Different kind of
reconstructions 
painting, repair of
windows and roof and
walls, …

25. Camp for children- side project
• Programs for a
week for localchildren
• Creative games
• Community- building
games
• “Festival” with local
musicians and with
jugglers, fire jugglers

26. -Reconstruction of 1 9- flats building,
roofinsulation
-Renovation of windows and doors
- Foundraiser campaign to get more money for roof
insulation and decrease heating cost for more people
Ligetváros
2012

27. -1 m2: Euro 2
-Results: 90 people donated
- 675 000 HUF = Euro 2250
- 33 families could get insulation and will have lower
pricesof bills
“Donate 1 m2
insulation”

30. Budapest- 2013
- Cooperation with “The city is for everyone”
- Working with volunteers for 4 homeless
people living in forest move to social housing
- Model program for municipalities

32. Sustainability
1. Economic
- Moving from rent arrears toward
increase in value of houses
- Improving the condition of
socialhousing units
- Obligation of maintenance
2. Environmental
- Energy efficiency

33. Sustainability 2
1. Organisational
- Realising side projects
- Spreading the idea of
social housing
reconstruction camp
and tenant involvment

34. Thanks for the attention
sz.epitotabor@gmail.com
http://www.szepitotabor.hu/english-2/
brochure-2012/