In Bulgaria, 27% of homes, or one in four households with children, are overcrowded, and 24% of children in our country do not have a quiet place to study. Poor living conditions and overcrowding are the biggest problems related to housing conditions in Bulgaria. This is shown by the data from the last survey of young people in Bulgaria through the U-Report Bulgaria platform, UNICEF-Bulgaria reports.
U-Report is a global UNICEF platform that enables children and young people aged 14-29 to express their views on issues important to them and in an accessible way. 248 U-reporters with an average age of 21 and again with a strong predominance of girls and young women – 76 percent – took part in the survey for Bulgaria.
The poll, quoted by pariteni.bg, concludes that participants are in a similar situation: between 27 and 37 percent of them live in homes that may be overcrowded, and 35 percent may not have a comfortable place to study.
The most serious consequences of overcrowded housing for children and young people are tense relationships at home, which can lead to violence.
According to 70 percent of young people, the lack of sufficient personal space and tense relationships in overcrowded homes lead to emotional and mental problems such as anxiety, stress and more. A total of 51 percent of respondents point to problems and coping with learning, and 19 percent point out that living in such a home makes it difficult to communicate with peers.
In the European Union, overcrowded housing is considered to be one in which not everyone over the age of 18 has their own room and / or not every intimate couple has their own room, or not every two children have their own room.
Asked what is most important to do to help children and young people living in overcrowded housing, the majority opted for lasting and comprehensive measures – support for households with such difficulties through public policies. According to 20% of them, better policies are needed specifically for affordable social housing.
According to the latest data, 26% of households with children in Bulgaria say that they have difficulty heating their homes. Asked if they think they can keep their home warm, 20 percent say “sometimes” and 1 percent say “never.”
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