Communities not Camps: Racism in the Greek Housing Market

In the camps, systemic racism is evident, as is the spatial injustice that characterises the state’s housing policy for refugees. But what happens beyond the camps? What challenges does someone face when they decide - or are forced - to leave the camp? This article discusses racism, one of the major obstacles people with a migrant background encounter when trying to live in Athens.

People with a migrant background are often rejected when looking for a place to rent. At the same time, it’s common for NGOs and grassroots organisations to issue calls for “landlords friendly to the populations we support,” highlighting just how difficult it is to secure housing. There are also many property listings that explicitly state “GREEK PEOPLE ONLY.” Questions like “Where are you from?” or “What kind of immigrants?” make clear the racist views held by some landlords, whose decisions about who to rent to are driven by stigmatising stereotypes about specific nationalities. Some are openly discriminatory, stating outright: “Only Greeks,” or “I don’t want black people in the house.”

Others are more covert. They present themselves as cultured or respectable while using coded language to exclude migrants and justify their decisions. They claim to oppose the illegal behaviour they associate with migrants, so they’re “not directly against them.” They’ll say things like “We just don’t want trouble in the neighbourhood,” assuming a refugee will inevitably cause problems. Or they’ll express more specific concerns, such as “They’ll bring all their friends to stay here at night,” painting an image of migrants overcrowding the space and “cheating the landlord.” Some landlords would rather leave their properties vacant for months than rent to migrants. Others inflate rental prices when approached by refugees, rationalising this with phrases like “heavy use.”

In one recent case, a landlord rejected migrant tenants by saying, “This house has such a nice floor and walls - it's not appropriate for the use you want.” But what’s the issue with landlords choosing who they want, or don’t want, in their apartments? This is not about neutral, objective tenant selection. These decisions are based on classist and racist assumptions about who is “deserving” of a home, and what kind of home they deserve.

Neighbours also contribute to the hostile environment, surveilling and policing migrants’ daily lives. They complain about cooking smells or gatherings, and threaten to call the police. Migrants are often scapegoated for issues in the neighbourhood, like crime or pollution. The “Not In My Backyard” mindset - often framed as protecting neighbourhood character or property values - conceals deeper racial and cultural prejudice.

These issues are usually addressed through the individual efforts of migrants themselves or the organisations that support them. People tolerate racist discrimination simply to have a roof over their heads. Many are forced to provide excessive and unnecessary documentation to counter landlords’ assumptions or suspicions. Even when accepted, tenants often feel they must show constant gratitude for housing they rightfully pay for, and endure invasive questioning and surveillance as part of the deal. Migrants are welcome only if they assimilate quietly, follow unwritten rules, and remain invisible. Any sign of cultural difference, or even normal emotional expression, can be seen as a threat to the social order, and used as justification to deny housing or make tenants’ lives difficult.

These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader system of exclusion. We must stop normalising racism in the housing market. Recording, reporting, and challenging these practices is both our right and our responsibility. Landlords, neighbours, and housing institutions must be held accountable for their decisions and the impact they have on people’s lives. Safe, dignified, and equitable housing for all is not optional - it is essential for equal access to rights and social justice.

If you want to contribute to our ongoing series on the challenges displaced people face in accessing housing in Athens, contact us at yassas@mazihousing.org.

Written by Orsalia Papadimitriou

Edited by Megan Attard

With special thanks to Louise Truc for her contributions to this article.