Relating to the implementation of chimney-sweeping services, the Government mentions changes in its response report which would change the concession system into a licensing system. With the adoption of the Act Amending the Environmental Protection Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No. 92/2013-ZVO-1F), the current arrangement chimney-sweeping services would continue until 31 December 2015, when it would no longer be a mandatory public utility service. Unfortunately, the changes have not happened, since the current concession system of chimney-sweeping services has been extended until the end of 2016. The Government has another year to prepare a systemic act to regulate this field better; the Ombudsman’s recommendation remains unrealised. 2.8 PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICES Below we describe significant issues which were noted on the basis of complaints we received and discussed, and we also provide interesting cases. 2.9 HOUSING MATTERS CASES CONSIDERED RESOLVED AND FOUNDED 2014 2015 Index 15/14 9. Housing matters 111 124 111.7 117 12 10.3 9.1 Housing relations 61 53 86.9 52 4 7.7 9.2 Housing economics 46 62 134.8 56 7 12.5 4 9 225 9 1 11.1 9.3 Other NO. OF RESOLVED NO. OF FOUNDED PERCENTAGE OF FOUNDED AMONG RESOLVED FIELD OF WORK 2.9.1 General observations In 2015, we discussed 124 cases, which is an 11.1-per cent increase compared to 2014. The content of complaints have not changed significantly. Most complainants were concerned about how to find suitable accommodation, the options for subsidised rents, how to avoid evictions and where to seek assistance for the payment of costs etc. We explained their rights to complainants and provided possible ways of resolving the situations that arose. This topic and possible solutions were also discussed at a meeting with the Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning and representatives of the Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia. Mayors regularly inform us about housing situations in their municipalities at meetings held outside our office. They particularly note financial problems to maintain the housing stock and resolving their residents’ housing problems; the state does not provide any special support to the municipalities for this. Mayors also mentioned the subsidiary responsibility of the municipality as the owner of accommodation, when tenants fail to settle liabilities in relation to their rented accommodation. In these cases, municipalities are obliged to settle all liabilities, and since the number of defaulted obligors is increasing rapidly, this presents a serious problem and challenge for them in reconciling the interests of the municipalities with the distress of individuals. As in previous reports, we again highlight the insufficient housing stock of the state and municipalities. There are many systemic shortcomings, which deepen and enhance the housing and social distress of people during this period of economic crisis. For these reasons, the number of justified complaints about housing does not reveal the actual situation or the poverty relating to housing conditions in the country. The method of recording cases also reduces the share of justified complaints; many are included in other substantive fields, such as poverty, social relations etc. due to their interaction with various other fields and issues. 112 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA FOR 2015 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA FOR 2015 113 2.9 HOUSING MATTERS For many years, we have unsuccessfully demanded the entry of the right to water in our legal order as a fundamental human right, but this has also remained unrealised. Moreover, the Government did not state its position on the relevant recommendation in its response report for 2014 and also did not mention any progress in this regard.