Official: Number of poor ghettos in Czech Republic growing

The number of apartment buildings and districts inhabited by the poor in the Czech Republic is on the rise, the Czech News Agency quoted the head of the government’s social integration agency, Martin Šimáček, as saying on Sunday. While there were an estimated 330 ghettos in the country in 2006 and 400 in 2011, that number is now higher, said Mr. Šimáček, adding, however, that precise figures will not be available until next year. He said many poor people have been forced to move from apartments to hostel-style accommodation due to indebtedness.