The Government is launching a comprehensive programme equalling HUF 410 million (approx. EUR 1.41 million), aimed at helping families in extreme poverty. The first model programme is to start in the provincial town of Szolnok.

To implement the programme, the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice signed a cooperation agreement with the National Roma Self-government, a local training and research institute, the Municipality of Szolnok, the town's Roma Minority Self-Government, and the Centre for Social Services of the Szolnok Sub-regional Association.

The programme is linked to the National Social Inclusion Strategy (also submitted to the European Union), which lays the foundations for a new approach to integration. Unlike inclusion programmes launched before (which usually ended in failure), emphasis is placed on improving the housing conditions of people living in extreme poverty, organising social and community programmes, promoting employment, supporting return to the labour market, and organising remedial and competency-building training courses.

The programme also aims at promoting sustainable lifestyles suited to local conditions. The objective is to create a broad community of interest in the participating towns which involves as many stakeholders as possible by the end of the programme on 30 June 2012.

’Settlement-type social work‘ will take place, which means that the specialists coming to the towns will get involved in the everyday life of local communities and, after a trusting relationship has been established, they will include participants in the social integration programme.

A key element of the programme is the improvement of housing conditions, including the reconstruction of a hundred family houses – twelve of them in the first round – combined with training in building skills.

Six hundred people will be able to participate in training courses and employment within the model programme.

The programme will be launched in eight areas, at the following locations: Ózd (Velencetelep, and Hétes-telep); Szolnok and Tiszaroff (Motor Street); small villages in Baranya County (Komló and the surroundings of Vajszló); and Nyíregyháza (Huszár-telep, Eastern housing estate).

Hungarian National Social Inclusion Strategy - Deep poverty, child poverty, and the Roma.

(kormany.hu)