Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe and secure. Stable housing provides the foundation for health, education, and opportunity. Yet many families in Bulgaria, particularly Roma families, live in uncertainty. In the mid-20th century, many Roma were settled in compact neighborhoods on the edges of towns and cities. These settlements have expanded and were never formalized, leaving residents unable to legalize their homes or access public services. Informal neighborhoods remain isolated from municipal systems and opportunities.
TSA’s Home Security program addresses both immediate housing needs and the structural barriers behind them. Our work combines legal and technical support for families, collaboration with municipalities, and strong community engagement.
Legal and technical assistance helps families navigate the process of obtaining property documents and meeting zoning requirements. Services include legal consultations, preparation of documents, and technical guidance—vital for families who often lack the resources or knowledge to act alone.
Collaboration with local authorities ensures systemic change. TSA partners with municipalities to simplify administrative procedures, develop inclusive zoning policies, and train officials on equitable urban planning. These efforts promote the inclusion of Roma neighborhoods in city development plans and foster mutual understanding between institutions and communities.
Community engagement builds trust and ownership. TSA organizes meetings to inform residents about legalization steps, creates peer-to-peer support networks, and leads public campaigns to challenge stereotypes about Roma housing. This participatory approach helps residents become active partners in shaping their communities.
The results are tangible. In neighborhoods such as Lukovitsa (Peshtera), Iztok (Kyustendil), and Kavaklia (Dupnitsa), hundreds of families now live in zoned neighborhoods and have secured property documents, gained access to utilities, and begun home improvements. These successes serve as models for replication across Bulgaria.
Home security connects to TSA’s broader mission: families with secure homes are better positioned to focus on education, employment, and community life. Our goal is to expand legalization support to additional municipalities, train more local officials, and advocate for national reforms that protect families from eviction and promote equitable housing policies.
Partnerships are essential to this mission. Municipalities, legal experts, and community organizations are key actors, supported by international donors such as the Council of Europe Development Bank and the European Commission. By linking local efforts to European human rights standards, TSA ensures that housing reform contributes to dignity, justice, and inclusion.
Looking ahead, TSA will continue scaling its model, deepening advocacy for inclusive urban planning, and empowering communities to lead. By securing homes, we help build the foundation for a fairer Bulgaria where everyone has a safe place to call home.