Social Housing and support by NGOs

Social housing belongs to the municipalities, each municipality has different regulations who can apply for it and also different conditions of how much social housing costs. You need an address in the district (permanent or temporary depending on the district) and often need to meet strict conditions like living in the district for x years, so foreigners often can’t meet these conditions.

In the last years, NGOs and social workers reported extreme difficulties for beneficiaries of international protection moving out of reception centres and integrating into local communities. Accommodation free of charge is provided to a very limited extent exclusively by civil society and church-based organisations. Moreover, the contacted organisations’ activity is limited to the capital of Hungary.

In the absence of housing services provided by the state/local government, only homeless shelters – e.g. Temporary Homeless Shelter of the Baptist Integration Centre – and a few NGOs and church-based organisations’ housing programmes remained available for beneficiaries of international protection.

As a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection, also as a tolerated status holder, you can spend up to 30 days in the asylum centre after receiving the status decision. After the 30 days expire, the immigration authority (National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing, called “OIF” in Hungarian) gives you a written statement indicating that you must leave the camp.  

During these 30 days, among other tasks – such as obtaining necessary ID, health insurance and tax documents – you will need to find housing opportunities. Social workers of the centre should be of assistance in this.  

The below organizations can possibly provide support or advice in finding accommodation/housing or shelter opportunities, however, it is not guaranteed that they will be able to assist in all cases.

• Hungarian Red Cross 

• Migration Aid 

• Hungarian Interchurch Aid Support Center 

• Caritas Hungary – Hungarian Catholic Church 

• Charity Service of the Order of Malta 

• Next Step Hungary Association 

• From Streets to Homes Association 

• IOM Hungary 

• Menedék Association 

• Lutheran Diaconia 

• Baptist Integration Centre 

• Oltalom Foundation 

• Jesuit Refugee Service 

• Kalunba Charity 

Or if you are in Budapest, visit the Government Offices (Kormányablak) for the following services:

• Referral to one-night reception accommodation 

• Support in finding long-term accommodation 

• Information regarding temporary protection 

• Information regarding regular subsistence allowance and work in Hungary 

• Information about other available services for refugees

In Budapest there is also the so called Családok Átmeneti Otthona (CSÁO), which is a shelter for homeless people and families. You can find some information about the accommodation opportunities here: https://www.bmszki.hu/en/accomodation 

You can find more information on these links:

• https://help.unhcr.org/hungary/help/housing/ 
• https://asylumineurope.org/reports/country/hungary/content-international-protection/housing/ 
• https://help.unhcr.org/hungary/help/housing/ 
• https://help.unhcr.org/hungary/emergency-housing/
• https://www.bmszki.hu/en/accomodation