Introduction
The
Right to Adequate Housing and Local Governments
Although first recognized in the 1948
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right to adequate housing remains a
distant reality for millions around the world who face displacement, forced
eviction, homelessness, and substandard living conditions. Cities today are growing
at a challenging pace while social welfare budgets are shrinking. It’s now more
important than ever to develop new strategies and partnerships to protect the
basic human rights of the world’s vulnerable people.
In December 2014, UN Special
Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Leilani Farha, issued her first
thematic report to the UN Human Rights Council. This report serves as a guide
for implementing the right to housing at the local level. It reminds States
that local governments play an important role in realizing the right to
adequate housing, and that sub-national governments at all levels, are under a
legal obligation to respect, protect, and fulfill international human rights,
including the right to adequate housing for all people
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Click here to download the guide.