Report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing: Human Rights Based Housing Strategies

Note by the Secretariat:

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context provides States and other actors with concrete guidance on implementing effective rights-based housing strategies. The report explains the difference between a housing strategy and housing policy. It outlines the value of a human rights-based approach to housing strategies and describes the key principles upon which effective rights-based housing strategies must be based. While there is no “one size fits all” housing strategy, the Special Rapporteur identifies the most important requirements of each principle that should be shaped to fit specific national and local contexts. These draw both on human rights norms — as articulated by United Nations treaty bodies, courts and human rights institutions — and on the practical experiences of the Special Rapporteur, various levels of government, civil society, experts and other actors. The report also provides examples of how these key principles have been implemented in practice, in diverse national or local contexts. The report concludes with a checklist to facilitate the design, monitoring, financing and implementation of human rights-based housing strategies.

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