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The right to adequate housing of persons with disabilities 2017, para. 22
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- Homelessness for persons with disabilities is also linked to the breakdown of family relationships. A study in Montreal, Canada, of homeless persons with intellectual disabilities found that almost all individuals who lived on the street or in shelters had had no contact with their families since becoming homeless. On mission in Chile, the Special Rapporteur visited a homeless shelter run by the Salvation Army in Valparaiso where many of the residents were persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities who had been shunned or abandoned by their families.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing of persons with disabilities 2017, para. 79
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- Subnational and local governments have also initiated important efforts to address the right to adequate housing of persons with disabilities. Article XIV (1) of the World Charter for the Right to the City provides for universal realization of the right to housing and emphasizes the need for accessible and suitable locations. In article X of the Global Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City, it is recommended that cities adopt regulations to ensure the accessibility of housing for persons with disabilities. Some cities have sought to initiate inclusive zoning policies to prevent restrictions on supportive housing. Others have adopted measures to address affordability, such as housing benefits and/or allowances, grants or loans for required adaptations, lower interest rates on housing loans and reduced housing taxes for families with a family member with a disability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing of persons with disabilities 2017, para. 65
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- In India, the High Court of Bombay has applied the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act to require increased allocations of land (tenements) to persons with disabilities. In a similar vein, the Supreme Court of Argentina, in a case involving a homeless mother and her son with a disability, stated that there should be a minimum guarantee of access to housing for those facing situations of vulnerability because of disability and ordered the immediate provision of shelter.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing of persons with disabilities 2017, para. 27
- Original document
- Paragraph text
- In other circumstances, however, living with family is not an appropriate or safe option. Persons with disabilities are more likely to be subjected to abuse within families or other households. A study in Uganda found that half of interviewees with psychosocial disabilities reported having been subjected to abuse at the hands of their relatives. Another study found a high incidence of abuse among children with disabilities by someone upon whom they were dependent for survival and well-being. Individuals are sometimes tied or chained up by family members or left locked in isolation. The ability to speak out is limited by the individual’s isolation and dependence upon the perpetrator for support, and, in many situations, there is no one to turn to for help.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing of persons with disabilities 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- In other circumstances, living in an institutional setting or remaining with family may be a decision made by a parent, guardian or family member on behalf of a person with a disability. Institutions that are originally presented as optional may subsequently deny residents the right to leave. Years of living in segregated settings have devastating effects on the autonomy of residents and their ability to exercise independent agency, making it difficult for them to trust or imagine a positive community-based alternative.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The humiliation homeless people suffer in their daily lives cannot be underestimated. Take for example, the experience of women who lack adequate sanitation facilities, especially during menstrual cycles, or of families who are treated like "human waste", forced to establish their households on or next to a garbage dump. Homeless people have told the Special Rapporteur, often through tears, that more than any material security, what they yearn for is to be "seen", to be recognized and treated by society as human beings with inherent dignity and respect.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination is both a cause and a consequence of homelessness. Those who face discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity, place of origin, socioeconomic status, family status, gender, mental or physical disability, health condition, sexual orientation and/or gender identity and age are more likely to become homeless and, once homeless, experience additional discrimination. The intersections of other grounds of discrimination with homelessness vary in different countries. In some, for example, racial inequality intersects strongly with homelessness. In Brazil, African-Brazilians make up only 7 per cent of the population of wealthy areas and yet make up the majority in informal settlements. In the United States of America, black families are seven times more likely to be homeless than white families.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights has affirmed that the right to adequate housing is implied in the African Charter by its articles 14 on the right to property, 16 on the right to highest attainable standard of mental and physical health and 18 (1) on protection accorded to the family. It considers that forced evictions leading to homelessness are contrary to the Charter, and has urged all States to report on measures taken to address homelessness and to appoint an independent national body to monitor State compliance with the right to adequate housing.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has focused on the need for comprehensive housing strategies to address homelessness, framed around the right to housing and ensuring monitoring and accountability with goals, timelines and complaints procedures. Similarly, in the case of street children, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights advocates a holistic approach that recognizes rights as interdependent and interconnected, through a coordinated approach across government departments and with the involvement of family and community.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Many societal changes without adequate State responses contribute to homelessness. For example, the break-up of traditional family structures is a prevalent cause of homelessness. Men who move to cities for economic reasons often forgo shelter in order to save money to send back to their families in rural areas. In many States, long traditions of extended family support and kinship responsibility at the community level have been eroded. Illness, including the HIV/AIDS pandemic, is both a major cause and effect of homelessness.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The right to life and the right to adequate housing: the indivisibility and interdependence between these rights 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- A similar paradox has emerged in the consideration under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of homelessness resulting from evictions and the demolition of housing. The catastrophic effects of homelessness on the right to life have been addressed as human rights violations, but only in the context of interference with the home. States' positive obligations to address circumstances of grossly inadequate housing in order to protect and ensure the right to life have not been addressed. In Georgopoulos et al. v. Greece (see CCPR/C/99/D/1799/2008) the Committee considered the case of a Roma family living in a settlement with no access to electricity or sanitation and only two taps providing running water for the settlement. The settlement was described by the Prime Minister's Advisor on Quality of Life, as the worst in Greece and "an insult to our humanity" (ibid., para. 2.1). All attempts to improve the community's living conditions or to relocate the residents to a better settlement had been abandoned because of hostility towards the Roma. When the Georgopoulos family left their shed for a period of time to seek seasonal employment, municipal officials demolished it and prevented the construction of a replacement. The Committee held that the demolition of the authors' shed and the prevention of construction of a new home amounted to a violation of articles 17 (interference with the home), 23 (protection of the family) and 27 (right to enjoy one's culture).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The right to life and the right to adequate housing: the indivisibility and interdependence between these rights 2016, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has had the opportunity to consider in its jurisprudence the obligation of States parties to address threats to women linked to lack of housing. In Ms. A.T. v. Hungary, the Committee considered the circumstances of a woman with two children who was viciously beaten by her husband and who feared for her life. She was unable to move to a shelter because there were no spaces available to accommodate her child, who had a disability. The domestic courts refused to grant A.T. possession of her home, in consideration of the property rights of her husband. The Committee held that women's human rights to life and to physical and mental integrity could not be superseded by other rights, including the right to property and the right to privacy. The Committee recommended that Hungary take positive measures to remedy the situation of A.T., to ensure better protection for women more generally and to ensure that A.T. was given a safe home in which to live with her children, as well as child support, legal assistance and reparation for the violations of her rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Families with children are at increasing risk of homelessness as parents are deprived of the income necessary for housing and supply of affordable housing is depleted. In Ireland, families with children have become the fastest growing group within the homeless population. Those families risk losing their children to public authorities for failing to provide adequate housing.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Most families of street-connected children have experienced persistent discrimination, poverty and social exclusion. Street-connected children and young people face particular challenges, including the threat of being removed from their parents for neglect and put into orphanages or foster systems. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex young people are overrepresented in homeless populations in some countries and face additional stigmatization and social exclusion from their families and communities, and are more vulnerable to violence and more likely to be turned away from shelters.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- LGBTQI+
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 17a
- Paragraph text
- [In light of these considerations, the Special Rapporteur proposes the following three-dimensional approach anchored in human rights:] The first dimension addresses the absence of home - both the absence of the material aspect of minimally adequate housing and of the social aspect of a secure place to establish a family or social relationships and participate in community life;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Responsibilities of local and other subnational governments in relation to the right to adequate housing 2015, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, there are no constitutional protections through which the right to housing can be claimed. However, statutory provisions requiring local authorities to provide housing for those who are homeless are enforceable in courts. In addition, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is enforceable by domestic courts in the United Kingdom. In R. v. Enfield London Borough Council, ex parte Bernard, for example, when a woman with a disability was not provided with the accessible housing to which she was entitled under the Housing Act, she challenged the local authority's actions as a violation of her right to the protection of home and family life under article 8 of the European Convention. The court held that accessible accommodation was important because it would facilitate family life and would secure her "physical and psychological integrity". The court ruled that "it would have restored her dignity as a human being".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Guiding Principles on security of tenure for the urban poor 2014, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Police procedures. Residents of urban settlements and homeless persons face disproportionate levels of police intervention and use of force without due process. In many countries, police enter homes in poor settlements, sometimes in major operations, without a court order, violating residents' rights to protection against arbitrary interference with their privacy, family and home. Homeless persons, who have no choice but to sleep, eat and conduct other life-sustaining activities in publics spaces are commonly harassed, fined and detained for doing so. Police must follow due process and respect human rights in conducting law enforcement activities, including in urban settlements, and ensure that any use of force is strictly necessary and proportional to lawful objectives. States should decriminalize homelessness and ensure full respect by police of human rights of homeless persons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Reflection on work undertaken in first 14 years of the mandate; outline of opportunities and priorities 2014, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The consequences of inadequate housing and homelessness are severe, with implications for almost every other human right, including the rights to health, education, protection of the family, social security, work and, in many cases, life. Malaria, cholera, dengue fever and many other diseases that continue to ravage the poor in tropical countries are closely linked to poor housing conditions, as are tuberculosis, pneumonia and many other illnesses affecting those who are homeless in northern climates. Yet, despite the severity of the consequences and the fundamental human rights that are involved, homelessness and inadequate housing are still often seen as the preserve of socioeconomic policy and as insulated from the kind of legal human rights accountability that is applied to government policies affecting other human rights. Even when housing is recognized as a human right, how it should be implemented is not always clear to States and other stakeholders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Reflection on work undertaken in first 14 years of the mandate; outline of opportunities and priorities 2014, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Regarding migrant workers (and their families), the Rapporteur wishes to consider the particular vulnerabilities faced by such workers, especially if they are undocumented, in gaining access to and maintaining adequate housing and living conditions, whether owing to administrative or legal obstacles or to de facto discrimination and multiple discrimination. The Special Rapporteur hopes to work collaboratively with the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants to assess policies, programmes and measures in relation to the right to an adequate standard of living, including housing, and to seek avenues for cooperation to ensure adequate housing and living conditions for migrant workers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Guiding Principles on security of tenure for the urban poor 2014, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- States should adopt measures to strengthen women's registration of tenure rights. The registration of tenure rights in joint or multiple names, including of women, should be promoted as standard procedure, in order to avoid de jure or de facto discrimination if registration is authorized solely in the name of the head of the household. For example, in Tajikistan, law reform in 2004 made it mandatory to list all family members on certificates when families receive plots of land from former collective farms. Practical measures include requiring men and women to be present at the registration process, during which all documentation should be read aloud and explained; and providing space on documentation for recording multiple names. Under the Ethiopian land certification programme, for example, certificates are issued jointly with photos of both husband and wife. Incentives can also be used to promote registration of tenure rights in the name of women. For example, in 2006, Nepal introduced a partial tax exemption for plots of land registered to women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Reflection on work undertaken in first 14 years of the mandate; outline of opportunities and priorities 2014, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Civil society organizations have brought new and diverse housing issues before the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and also before the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. By doing so, they have encouraged various treaty monitoring bodies to consider State obligations with respect to the right to housing in diverse circumstances and to clarify the links between the right to housing and other human rights. These dynamic interactions between national experiences and international human rights mechanisms benefit and strengthen both.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Reflection on work undertaken in first 14 years of the mandate; outline of opportunities and priorities 2014, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Migrant workers have also made important advances in addressing discrimination in economic and social contexts, such as discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status, including "undocumented" status. Migrant domestic workers, migrant construction workers (for example, those working in extractive industries or large-scale infrastructure projects), children, older migrants and migrants in irregular situations are the most vulnerable, often lacking administrative or judicial remedies for their housing claims. Migrant workers and the members of their families frequently face housing conditions characterized by overcrowding, irregular or unregulated rental markets, high exposure to arbitrary changes in the cost of rent or essential services, and substandard living conditions, and can be subject to abuse, in particular when they are undocumented.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Older persons
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- On the positive side, the design of housing itself can certainly encourage greater equality vis-à-vis enjoyment and use of domestic space. An example of new ways of thinking about domestic space from a gender perspective can be seen through the development of housing projects which seek to promote non-hierarchical and more flexible uses of the home. For example, creating personal workspaces inside the home can support women who are more likely to engage in home-based income-generating activities. Another interesting development which can be found in certain policies relates to the design of kitchens, a traditionally female space which is often cramped and separated. The design of housing from a gender-sensitive perspective can better promote family integration, as well as a more equitable sharing of household responsibilities between women and men through openness and shared use of spaces.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Women's right to adequate housing is often denied or ignored within the broader context of family and marriage law. Equality in matters of inheritance is often denied for women and girls on the basis of custom and tradition, whether within the context of the death of a spouse, parent or other relative. This has important ramifications, as inheritance is a primary means by which wealth and resources are transferred within societies, as well as within families. To be excluded from the process of inheritance reinforces women's lack of autonomy and equality, and jeopardizes in a very direct way their right to adequate housing.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- In applying the law, the courts also have a critical role to play. In Kenya, recent judicial decisions referencing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women have put to rest the persistent conflict between customary legal systems which deny women inheritance of family property on the one hand, and the guarantee of gender equality under the Kenyan Constitution on the other. In the Ntutu case (2008), for example, the Kenyan High Court heard arguments by the sons of the deceased that "Masai customary law of succession … does not recognize the rights of the daughters to inherit the estate of their fathers." Here, the Court applied international human rights law, international covenants and treaties which have been ratified by Kenya, and noted the previous decision of Rono vs. Rono. The Court found "the customary law which shall abrogate the right of daughters to inherit the estate of a father cannot be applicable as it shall be repugnant to justice and morality," and upheld the right of the daughters to inherit equally from the assets of the estate.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- In order to ensure women's right to security of tenure, it is critical for States to refrain from the practice of forced evictions, and to protect women against forced evictions at the hands of private actors and third parties. In particular, the independent right of women to security of tenure should be explicitly recognized in housing law, policy and programmes, irrespective of their family or relationship status, thereby protecting women from forced evictions, including at the hands of community and even family members.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- States should also amend or repeal domestic legislation related to family and marriage which discriminates against women, so as to ensure that women and men have equal powers in all matters related to housing and land. Seemingly gender-neutral concepts or standards which discriminate against women in practice - such as the application of the "head of the household" concept - should similarly be rescinded.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The right to adequate housing in disaster relief efforts 2011, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- The principles of equality and non-discrimination are firmly rooted in international human rights law. Attention to non-discrimination and equality requires Governments and aid organizations to pay particular attention to vulnerabilities and inequalities in pre-disaster contexts, and, in the aftermath of disasters, to address inequalities and protect the most vulnerable. United Nations treaty bodies have noted that even in times of severe resource constraints - as is typically the case in the wake of a disaster - States have a particular obligation to protect vulnerable members of society. States should also take special measures to secure for disadvantaged groups the full and equal enjoyment of their human rights. In post-disaster situations, such measures might translate into special assistance to support return of the most vulnerable groups or find land/housing for landless or homeless families.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Post conflict and post disaster reconstruction and the right to adequate housing 2011, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- With the correct approach and support from the national government and outside agencies, the people directly affected by disasters and conflicts ought to remain directly involved despite the enormity of the challenges they face. This is particularly important in the areas of resettlement and reconstruction. The individuals, families and communities affected possess vital local knowledge and experience, and when working together can be an invaluable partner in designing and implementing creative solutions. Community-based reconstruction, linked to planning and reconstruction processes developed at the municipal and national levels, should be promoted wherever possible. The IASC guidelines accordingly advise agencies "In the planning and rehabilitation of housing and human settlements, [to] devise community-based strategies to maximize the participation of all sectors of affected communities (e.g. community housing teams). Local communities should be involved in decision-making regarding the location, design and infrastructure of housing and settlements to ensure that they are safe, habitable, accessible and culturally appropriate."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Migration and the right to adequate housing 2010, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The segregation within the urban structure of the hosting territory is another dimension of migrant housing conditions: stereotyping, xenophobia and suspicion against migrants and the erection of barriers to keep them away from the local community foster the exclusion of migrants from the urban space. Segregation is also a consequence of insufficient access to social housing and services, which denies migrants access to fully serviced neighbourhoods, confining them to unserviced and unplanned areas with poor conditions and insufficient infrastructure and further fragmenting cities and fostering spatial clustering. Moreover, the need for undocumented migrants to remain invisible to authorities and the desire of all migrants to increase protection among members of each national community and to receive assistance from relatives and friends encourages ghettoized urban spaces.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph